


The Shifters of Walter Works High

by Takara_Phoenix



Category: Big Hero 6 (2014), Brave (2012), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Moana (2016), Rise of the Guardians (2012), Tangled (2010)
Genre: ...I'm not gonna tag everyone, Alpha!Hiccup, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - High School, Anal, Bottom!Jack, Crossover, Dragon!hiccup, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, Flynn and Jack are bros, Hiccup and Tadashi and Hiro are stepbrothers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Merida and Hiccup are bros, Nick and Toothiana adopt Jack and his sister, Omega!Jack, Oral, Shapeshifting, Shounen-ai, Slash, The Haddock-Hamada Family, Toothless and Hiccup are bros, alpha!Flynn, alpha!Jamie, alpha!Moana, and Dagur and Heather are their adopted siblings, and Toothless is a shifter like everyone else, arctic fox!Jack, beta!Tadashi, omega!Hiro, omega!Merida, omega!Rapunzel, there's gonna be sex later on, top!Hiccup
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-29
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2018-10-25 07:29:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 66,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10759605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Takara_Phoenix/pseuds/Takara_Phoenix
Summary: Hiccup is the only biological son of the Alpha, the leader of Berk's shifters. And as that, there are a lot of expectations weighting heavy on him.Like uniting the two towns of Berk and Burgess, because the Alpha of Burgess has an omega daughter - Merida. And oh, wouldn't it be perfect and lovely if Berk's alpha heir and Burgess' omega heir would get mated and unite their two towns and tribes into one?...Not really, no. Not if one was to ask Hiccup's and Merida's opinion. But since their parents are persistent, the two decide to play along for their own peace of mind. Which works well, until someone moves to their little island who genuinely picks Hiccup's interest. A cute Arctic fox shifter and omega by the name Jack.And now Jack, like nearly everyone else on this island, believes Hiccup and Merida are a thing. What a mess...





	1. The Bear and the Bow

HTTYD || HiJack || RotG || The Shifters of Walter Works High || RotG || HiJack || HTTYD

Title: The Shifters of Walter Works High – The Dragon and the Arctic Fox

Fandom: Disney/DreamWorks; crossover AU

Disclaimer: All rights concerning the movies reserved to DreamWorks/Disney respectively. 'Guardians of Childhood' is property of William Joyce. 'How To Train Your Dragon' is property of Cressida Cowell. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Warnings: m/m, ABO-verse, shifters, mating, heat, sex toys, explicit intercourse, anal, oral, hurt/comfort, fluff, mpreg, f/f, m/f, polyamory (m/f/f)

Main Pairing: Hiccup/Jack

Side Pairings: Jamie/Hiro, Moana/Merida, Flynn/Rapunzel, Eret/Astrid, Dagur/Mala, Snotlout/Minden, Honey/Fishlegs/Heather, Fred/Ruffnut, Tadashi/GoGo, Stoick/Cass, Nick/Toothiana, Pitch/Gothel, Fergus/Elinor, Tui/Sina

Rise of the Guardians Characters: Jackson Overland, Mary Overland, Toothiana, Nicholas Saint North, E. Aster Bunnymund, Sanderson ManSnoozie, Kozmotis Pitchiner, Jamie Bennett, Sophie Bennett, Cadence 'Cupcake' Miller, Pippa Morgan, Monty Jones, Caleb Jenkins, Claude Jenkins

How To Train Your Dragon Characters: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Toothless, Stoick the Vast, Fishlegs Ingerman, Heather, Dagur, Mala, Atali, Minden, Snotlout Jorgenson, Tuffnut Thorston, Ruffnut Thorston, Astrid Hofferson, Eret Eretson, Gustav Larson, Gobber the Belch, Gothi

Big Hero 6 Characters: Tadashi Hamada, Hiro Hamada, Cass Hamada, Baymax, Fred Lee, GoGo Tamago, Honey Lemon, Wasabi No-Ginger, Mochi

Tangled Characters: Rapunzel, Flynn Rider, Stabbington Brothers, Mother Gothel, Pascal, Maximus

Brave Characters: Fergus DunBroch, Elinor DunBroch, Merida DunBroch, Harris DunBroch, Hubert DunBroch, Hamish DunBroch, Angus

Moana Characters: Moana Waialiki, Sina Waialiki, Tui Waialiki

Summary: Walter Works High School is a place where shifters of all races and secondary genders learn together. It's located right at the borders of two very small towns and due to their size, the small towns share the high school. Hiccup, a young alpha dragon-shifter, is the son of the Alpha of Berk, one of the two towns. He's well respected and well-liked by others. Everyone expects Hiccup to one day be mated to Burgess' heir Merida, the omega bear-shifter. Both teens have been fighting this tooth and nail for years now, being good friends but nothing more.

One day, Jack Overland moves to Burgess and the gorgeous omega instantly catches the interest of Hiccup. The problem is that Jack is from a part of the world where omegas are seen as the lowest and most worthless of shifters, so he has no idea how to handle his new surroundings – a community of mixed racial shifters that live peacefully and see omegas as precious.

**The Shifters of Walter Works High**

_The Dragon and the Arctic Fox  
_

_Chapter 1: The Bear and the Bow_

Hiro Hamada had only been three years old when his parents died. To be honest, he didn't even remember their faces, or what it felt like to be loved by them. When he told others this, they would feel sad on his behalf, but if Hiro was honest, he wasn't truly sad.

Yes, he had lost the parents that had given him life, but he loved the parents that now gave him love.

Hiro and his four years older brother Tadashi had been taken in by their aunt Cass. For the past years, she had been the only mother Hiro and Tadashi knew. She was kind, gentle, scatterbrained and she was trying real hard to make things easy for them.

To make things easier on the two cubs, Cass had packed their bags and moved away from San Fransokyo. A single omega having to take care of two cubs in the big city? It'd be hard. She didn't have a pack to speak of and she knew that in smaller towns, the people held together more. A small town was one pack that helped each other out and defended their territory together.

The three fox-shifters made their way to a town called Berk, at the cliffs of an island, surrounded by the sea. It was truly beautiful and Cass was looking forward to building their new life here.

/break\

The town of Berk was not overly large, but it had a good, solid pack that knew to rely on one another. Their Alpha was Stoick Haddock, a broad, strong and, true to his name, stoic dragon-shifter. He looked very intimidating upon first meeting him, but anyone who knew him on a personal level knew the man had a heart of gold. He was especially gentle about his only hatching.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was barely six years old, a scrawny tiny thing. When he had first hatched, their city's doctor Gothi had been doubtful he'd make it through his first winter. In the end, it had been Hiccup's mother that had been taken from Stoick. He only had his son left and he cherished the frail little boy. Hiccup held a curiosity that got him into more trouble than anything.

"Oi! Stoick! There's the new arrivals you wanted to visit", called his second-in-command.

Stoick looked up, ripped out of his thoughts by his old friend Gobber wobbling into the room. Sighing, Stoick gathered Hiccup up into his arms, the shy six-years-old hiding in his father's neck as Stoick made his way outside. Their pack was a tight-knitted bunch, most having lived here for many generations now. Having someone new move here was a rather rare occurrence.

The last new arrival to Berk had been a mismatched bunch of five – Toothiana and Nick Saint North, Sanderson Mansnoozie and his cousin Kozmotis Pitchiner, as well as Aster Bunnymund. A traveling pack, small in numbers, that wished to settle down. That had been fifteen years ago now.

"What do we know of them again?", asked Stoick absentmindedly as they walked on.

"Three fox-shifters, a young miss and two cubs", explained Gobber. "Her nephews, but their parents died, I think. That's what she told Toothiana, at least. Hamada, the name is."

Stoick grunted and nodded sharply as they continued on. Foxes? They never had foxes in their pack before. Most were dragons like themselves, there were some wolf-families, one family of bunnies. The most exotic ones had been their 'new' arrivals fifteen years ago; Nick being a big polar bear, his mate Toothiana an elegant and beautiful bird of paradise and Aster another bunny-shifter to add to the one family they have had in their pack before. Then again, foxes were known to be tricksters and troublemakers. But those were stereotypes and Stoick tried to be a modern Alpha. He was to give them a chance and see how they'd integrate into the pack.

"Miss Hamada, it's a pleasure to...", started Stoick politely as they reached the house's door.

A petite brunette stood in the doorway, with soft features and wide, kind eyes. She was beautiful and something about her fragility reminded him of his late wife in both a warming and a painful way. She smiled, rocking the toddler nestled against her neck softly to calm him from a crying fit.

"Yes?", asked the female fox patiently as Stoick failed to continue.

"May I present? Stoick Haddock, Alpha of Berk", introduced Gobber mildly amused and with the slightest teasing edge to it. "Miss Cassandra Hamada."

"Oh, Alpha. Of course. Please, come in. Thank you, for... offering us a place in your pack. And Cass is enough", replied Cass Hamada as she stepped aside. "Can I offer you some tea?"

There was a boy, looking about Hiccup's age, sitting on the carpet in the living room and playing with blocks and robot-toys. Stoick and Gobber followed Cass' instruction to sit on the couch.

"Those are Tadashi and Hiro, my nephews", introduced Cass with a smile, curiously looking at the child in Stoick's arms. "And who may this handsome young man be?"

Hiccup giggled at being called handsome and peeked bravely out from Stoick's beard, surprising the Alpha. "My son and heir, Hiccup. I couldn't find a babysitter, I apologize for bringing him along."

"Oh, that's not a problem", dismissed Cass. "He's what? Four? Five?"

"Six", corrected Stoick with a sigh. "He's very... small for his age."

"Six?", repeated Cass surprised. "Well, Tadashi is seven. Maybe they'd like to play while we adults talk? And I'll be right back with the tea, if you don't mind waiting."

Stoick put Hiccup down and watched with weary eyes how Hiccup sat down with Tadashi and, after a while, started talking softly to the slightly older boy. By the time Cass returned with the tea, the two boys were building together, both smiling. Hiro on Cass' arms had settled down some and was watching nearly enviously how the stranger was playing with his big brother. Tugging on Cass' hair demandingly, he silently requested to be put down too. The youngest was still more than wobbly on his legs, but he surely made his way over to Tadashi and Hiccup to join them.

"Aren't they adorable?", cooed Cass, watching them with awe.

Gobber and Stoick simply grunted in agreement. Hiccup wasn't very social, due to his scrawniness he was often being picked on by the other kindergarteners – it gave Stoick a bit of a headache that instead of taking charge of his play-group, he mainly sat in a corner, drawing pictures with his best friend Fishlegs. Stoick's own nephew Snotlout seemed far more cut-out to be a leader. But Stoick was hopeful that Hiccup would shape up to take his rightful place as Alpha of Berk one day. He was aware of the whispers, accusations that a boy that small and fragile simply wasn't meant to be an alpha, much less an Alpha, but Stoick knew, deep down in his guts he knew.

/break\

Over the following three years, Stoick found himself orbiting to the Hamada household more often than not. Cass the gentle omega had become an important asset to Stoick's council. A few weeks ago, after a lot of prodding and urging on from both Nick and Toothiana, Stoick had gathered the courage to officially start courting Cass Hamada, after all.

"You have spent years mourning, my friend. It is time to claim happiness", had Nick Saint North declared in his usual loud, bubbly way, clapping Stoick on the back and laughing.

Nick and Toothiana were living at the very outskirts of town, up on the tall, snowy mountains. They didn't have too much business with the town, aside from selling the toys they made and buying supplies in town. Yet Stoick had found a good friend in the white-haired man. A good friend that gave good advise, because weeks later and Berk celebrated a grand, beautiful wedding.

Little Hiro, by now six-years-old, was the proud ring-bearer. It was adorable how important the boy felt and when Stoick took the rings, he laughed and patted the child's head. Both Hiro and Tadashi were like his own sons. The friendship Hiccup and Tadashi had formed on the first day they met had only grown with the years and Hiro had come to adore Hiccup as much as he adored Tadashi.

"You may now kiss the bride", declared Gobber amused.

Cass giggled and blushed as Stoick tilted her and kissed her softly. All of Berk cheered and all of Burgess cheered. For many centuries, Berk and Burgess had shared borders. They also shared trade, yet they were still two separate towns. Both had proud families that had been Alphas to their respective town for such a long time – the Haddocks in Berk and the DunBrochs in Burgess.

And of course did the DunBrochs come to attend the wedding of their ally. Fergus DunBroch was as much a mountain of a man and picture of an alpha as Stoick Haddock was. The two men had grown up as close friends and had always hoped that the next generation might one day unite their towns.

The border was blurred as it was; both towns had grown in size so much over the centuries that what used to be two small villages far apart were now two large towns sharing a school district. The towns would only continue growing and the sensible next step would be to unite them. Alas, neither Alpha wanted to back down and concede territory or authority.

And then their children had been born, not even a year apart.

Hiccup Haddock, Stoick's precious little boy, and Merida DunBroch, Fergus' precious little girl.

Their fathers laid in wait. Hiccup would either present as an alpha or a beta, while Merida would either turn out to be a beta or an omega – physical lack of certain organs made such things pretty obvious considering that just up and growing an addition organ as a teenager was a most ludicrous and mortifying thing to imagine. So their fathers waited. If both turned out to be betas, or if Hiccup turned out to be an alpha and Merida turned out to be an omega, then everything would be perfect.

Fergus and Stoick had always made sure that the two children would spend much time together, but to little effect. Hiccup and Merida had nothing in common and shared no interests. While Hiccup preferred to be inside, reading or drawing or as he was younger playing with his Legos, Merida was a wild spirit who yearned for the outside, loved partaking in various sports.

Yet still, Fergus and Stoick remained patiently hopeful for the next grand mating ceremony.

/break\

Hiccup loved his family. A year had passed since his father's and mother's wedding. The Haddocks and the Hamadas had officially moved in together and Cass had become the only mother Hiccup ever even remembered knowing, while Stoick became the father that Tadashi and Hiro deserved. Hiccup was thirteen now and started noticing more things around him.

The duties of a chief, for example. Or just how bright the love between Cass and Stoick was. He also noticed his friends more. Not just as his friends, but also as their different races and the social implications of their secondary genders, now that they were teens. They hadn't presented yet – one usually presented at around sixteen – but with their teenage years, hormones started rising and certain scents started taking over. Not overwhelmingly so, more like they were wrapped up in layers of cotton or something, but it was still already quite distinguishable.

Stoick and Cass had thrown a party for Hiccup the first time his alpha-scent started becoming detectable, like it was something great and awesome. Hiccup was reluctantly doubtful about it.

But it made him pay closer attention to his friends and to what their future might hold.

There were the Oswald siblings Heather and Dagur. He smelt like alpha and she smelt like omega. Dagur was kind of a bit crazy (lot crazy), but he was very protective over his sister. The two had moved to Berk after their parents had died, an Alpha of a neighboring tribe who had been close friends with Stoick so half a year ago, when nearly their whole tribe died, Stoick had taken them in. Hiccup guessed that it had also been the wide, pleading eyes of Cass, who didn't want to see the two children be all on their own. Dagur had instantly taken to Hiccup and started calling him brother, though Hiccup didn't really know how he felt about that. Or about Dagur. But Hiccup was definitely very fond of Heather and maybe nearly as protective of her as Dagur was.

Then there was Hiccup's oldest friend Fishlegs. Fishlegs smelt, for a lack of a better word, appeasing. Most betas did. Non-threatening for either alphas or omegas. Just kind of calm. Fishlegs was also the second most brilliant person Hiccup knew, right after his big brother Tadashi of course. He was a bookworm just like Hics and spent a lot of his time at the library with Hiccup. Hiccup really hoped that one day, when Hiccup became _the_ Alpha, Fishlegs would be to him what Gobber was to Stoick. The loyal pack Beta, second in command and trustworthy adviser.

Hiccup's second best friend, who had moved to Berk a few years ago, was Toothless Nachtschatten. He had never really opened his mouth when he had first arrived at Berk so kids had started rumors that maybe he didn't have any teeth and was embarrassed about it. Turned out he was deaf by birth and opted not to speak. Hiccup had taken the black-haired dragon-shifter under his wing when others had started teasing him and had fast learned sign language to be able to communicate with his new friend. Toothless had been so touched by the gesture that the two soon grew inseparable. And as tradition in Berk, Toothless kept the embarrassing stupid and insulting nickname and wore it like a badge of honor – just like Hiccup and Fishlegs and many others in their tribe.

Then there were the chaotic twins Tuffnut and Ruffnut with whom Hiccup didn't really know what to _do_. They were kind of as crazy as Dagur in a way. They were also kind of a danger to themselves and others. Part of Hiccup was really very relieved that they both smelt like betas. Because them as alphas? Getting up to no good? Berk would be left in ruins.

There was also Hiccup's cousin Snotlout with whom he did not get along. The other had always teased Hiccup about being too scrawny and probably only a beta while he himself planned on becoming Berk's strongest alpha. Part of Hiccup was glad to be an alpha after all, because he did not look forward to being pushed around by Snotlout if he'd be a beta. As an alpha himself, Hiccup knew one day he'd be able to show Snotlout his place.

Lastly, there was Heather's best friend Astrid. Hiccup didn't have a lot to do with the bossy female alpha, if he was being honest. She was kind of as much a bully as Snotlout.

Hiccup blinked slowly. If he was being really-really honest, the only actual friends on that list were Toothless and Fishlegs. All others used to be pretty mean to Hiccup back when they were all children, making fun of him for being too scrawny to ever become an alpha, much less the Alpha. They started being more reasonable and kind of nicer now that everyone started smelling like their secondary genders and now that it was becoming more obvious that Hiccup was actually an alpha.

"Hello, Hics."

Hiccup blinked and looked up. Okay, so maybe Fishlegs and Toothless weren't his only real friends. Even though they didn't really have anything in common, Hiccup had gotten so used to spending time with Merida DunBroch that he indeed did count her as a friend. The short redhead hopped up onto the workbench, kicking her legs back and forth. Her hair was wild and pointed into every possible direction, all long frizzy curls that dominated the girl's entire being. Merida was about 70% hair. The other 30% were attitude. Hiccup offered her a small grin.

"Hey, Merida. What brings you to the workshop?"

She looked at him nearly sheepishly as she pulled her bow out of her backpack. Or rather, two halves of what used to be her bow. Hiccup frowned as he took it. He had made it for her, like every other bow and every single arrow. He had always liked spending time with Gobber, who was the local blacksmith and mechanic. Now that he was a bit older, he was also allowed to 'play around' a little himself too. Since Merida was a total fan of archers – her room was plastered in posters of Green Arrow and Hawkeye and Legolas – but her mother Elinor thought it improper for a young omega to play with weapons, Hiccup had made them for her in secret. Well, Elinor and Fergus knew, obviously, because you couldn't keep such a thing a secret. But Fergus had just laughed and encouraged his daughter and convinced Elinor with the argument that it had been a gift from Hiccup. It had taken Hiccup some to understand why that argument had swayed Elinor. They thought that it could be a first sign of him wanting to give Merida courting gifts.

"Your brothers?", guessed Hiccup with both eyebrows raised.

"Uhu. Stupid little dweebs", muttered Merida with a pout. "Can you fix it?"

Hiccup raised his eyebrows even further, but he went to work anyway while throwing Merida one of the apples he had taken with him as lunch. Merida took it gratefully and took a bite while watching her friend work curiously. He was used to her watching him work. Since they didn't share many interests, they didn't really have a lot to talk about so every time their parents used to force them to hang out, they'd just silently do whatever each wanted to do. That had developed into a comfortable silence between them and Hiccup actually felt better just knowing she was there. She smelt sweet, like omegas did. She smelt like honey. The scent always made Hiccup grin a little because unlike him, who he was a dragon-shifter, she was a bear-shifter. A bear-shifter with a honey-scent. Hiccup didn't really like honey though, if he was being honest.

"So. When I told mom I was going to the workshop, she got that delighted look on her face again."

"Yeah. It won't be long until they'll actually _stop_ you from coming because it'll be 'inappropriate' without a chaperone", muttered Hiccup, pausing in his work. "It won't be long until they start thinking me making you arrows is me giving you courting gifts."

He didn't miss the grossed-out way that Merida wiggled her nose. "No offense, Hics. You're nice and all and like... _way_ better than Dagur or Snotlout. But... I'm thirteen! I don't _want_ to think about getting an alpha. Just because I'm an omega doesn't mean I have to get an alpha! It's not like that should be my only purpose in life. It's dumb."

"I know", sighed Hiccup as he continued to work. "I envy Tadashi too. He's a beta and he's not the Alpha's biological son, so he doesn't have to worry about those things _at all_. Urgh. All I wanna do is build and tinker, not think about courting an omega and becoming Alpha. Dad is going to be Alpha for a long, long time so what's the rush? I just wish they'd lay off our backs."

Merida hummed thoughtfully, taking another bite from her apple. "You know. As long as they _think_ you and I are courting and stuff, they _will_ not push the matter further."

Hiccup looked up startled. "Y—You want to lie to them?"

"What? No. I mean... would it _really_ be a lie?", asked Merida with a mischievous grin. "After all, they are already assuming that you and I are a 'young, blossoming romance', which just makes me wanna puke. All we'd have to do is... not correct them, right?"

Hiccup adapted a thoughtful expression at that. She was kind of right. As long as they thought Merida and Hiccup were going to obey their wishes, their parents would at the very least not start pulling names out of hats and put other suggestions on the table. It was like the one thing Hiccup dreaded even more than courting Merida. His dad parading omegas from influential families around so Hiccup might pick an 'appropriate choice'. The mere thought gave him a headache.

"You might be onto something there", admitted Hiccup with a small grin.

"I know", hummed Merida pleased. "I am _not_ getting an alpha. Ever. I don't need some stupid bossy alpha – no offense, Hics, but then again you're like more of a beta anyway."

"...Offense taken", huffed Hiccup, looking down himself.

He knew he was a scrawny excuse for a dragon. Dragon-shifters were always impressive and large and muscular, or at the very least not scrawny. He really hoped that maybe once he presented, he would be the kind of alpha omegas looked at with appreciation. Not that he lived to impress omegas, but just once being acknowledged instead of dismissed... it would be nice.

"Meh. You'll either fill out, or you'll find an omega who's into scrawny", shrugged Merida with a mischievous grin and a nudge. "Or we just stay single forever, what do you say?"

"I think before that happens, we should really get mated to each other so our parents at least don't die of disappointment", chuckled Hiccup amused, earning a disgusted face from Merida and getting an apple core thrown at his head just as he returned to his work on the bow.

"Nope. No alpha will ever tie me down. I'll go out and adventure", declared Merida firmly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, this story will be a slow-burn. Because first of all, this world and its dynamics need to be mapped out. While this chapter focused on the growing family dynamics of Hiccup's family in this - next chapter will dive more into the friendship-dynamics, introducing Fishlegs and Toothless~
> 
> If you wanna know when this story will be updated, then you can find it on my updating schedule on my profile! ;)


	2. Epic

_Chapter 2: Epic_

Hiccup was fourteen when something exciting finally happened on their little island. Their home was relatively remote, Berk and Burgess being the only towns on the island actually. Hence the plans to unite them into one tribe, because at one point, the borders between their territory would blur too much and cause problems. So, everything that ever happened on their little island was somehow related to the rivalry between Berk and Burgess. Like soccer games between their two tribes. But when Hiccup was fourteen, someone new entered their lives. Someone exciting.

"I've heard they're birds", exclaimed Fishlegs excitedly.

He was holding a book on shifters, going through it to look for various bird-species. Hiccup grinned amused where he walked next to the blonde. Toothless on Hiccup's other side rolled his green eyes at Fishlegs' enthusiasm. The last exciting thing to happen had been how Toothless had come here, so to the black-scaled dragon-shifter, this excitement was all new.

" _I don't understand what all the fuss is about. You don't even know if the new guys are going to be interesting. Maybe they're just an old couple or something_ ", signed Toothless with an eye-roll.

"But that's just it, Tooth", argued Hiccup as he walked backward so he could face his friend and so Toothless could read his lips. "They might not be. What if there's someone our age? Someone exciting or... or intelligent? This could change the way things on Berk are."

Toothless snorted and rolled his eyes fondly at Hiccup and Fishlegs. " _Nerds._ "

The trio reached the harbor, just to realize they hadn't been the only ones curious and eager to see the new arrivals. Merida and her best friend Rapunzel were there too. Rapunzel was a bit of a weirdo, not that Hiccup was one to judge. She was a wonderful artist and spent about as much of her free time at the school as Hiccup did – just not in the workshop with Gobber or Mister Saint North, no she was usually to be found in the arts department with Mister Bunnymund. She was a very loud person with a loud personality, she could talk with no end, was always bright and cheerful, with a side of naive innocence. Her excitable and jumpy nature reflected beautifully in her shifter animal – a golden-brown squirrel. It was impossible not to like her. She was also one of the few young omegas their island had, making her all the more special.

"Hey, guys!", exclaimed Rapunzel loudly, waving at them with a broad smile.

Her long, golden-blonde hair was in a thick braid to keep it out of the way, flowers woven into it. She sat atop her horse Maximus, the white stallion whining and straightening as he watched the boys. Next to Maximus stood Angus, Merida's horse, not minding them any further, just like the redhead sitting on his back. No, Merida's full focus was on the ocean in front of them. It always was when she was at the cliffs, Hiccup had seen it often enough. Like every other teen on Dragon's Edge, the island Berk and Burgess laid on, she knew every nook and cranny of their island. Real adventure, real freedom, laid beyond the sea somewhere.

"Hello, Punzel", grinned Fishlegs. "And? Are they there yet? What are they like?"

"Look", ordered Merida, not moving at all.

Hiccup, Toothless and Fishlegs came to stand next to the two omegas on horseback. A ship was approaching the harbor, canoe-like and rather pretty and old-fashioned. At the helm of the ship stood a girl, posture straight and the look on her face fierce. She was wearing strange clothes too.

"Children. Too curious for own good, yes?"

All five teens jumped as they were caught like that. Nick Saint North smiled knowingly at them and laughed. Next to him was his mate Toothiana, fluttering excitedly in the sky with her bird of paradise wings. She was one of the few shifters who chose to spend most of her time in half-shifted form. With them were Stoick and Cass, as well as Fergus and Elinor. While Hiccup's parents looked mainly amused, Merida's mother stared rather sternly at her daughter.

"Who are they?", asked Rapunzel curiously when she climbed off her horse.

"We do not know, but we shall see. Now come, children", replied Stoick.

As one, their group headed closer to the docks. The father was a tall, broad alpha, making Hiccup again feel inferior when he looked at Stoick, Nick, Fergus and now this new arrival. Would he ever grow up to be like them? A true picture of an alpha? The alpha's mate was a petite, pretty omega woman with a friendly smile. She wore a curious kind of dress, while he only wore a kind of wrap-around skirt with strange motifs on it, his upper body covered in tattoos. Their skin-complexion was so different from the mainly pale people of Berk and Burgess – there wasn't much sun here to begin with, it was nearly constant winter around here, really. They looked out of this world.

"Welcome. I am Stoick Haddock, Alpha of Berk. This is my mate Cass", greeted Stoick.

"And I am Fergus DunBroch, Alpha of Burgess, and my mate Elinor", added Fergus proudly.

"Thank you for the welcoming", replied the man with a mild smile. "It has been a long journey and being greeted with warm words is a balm. I am Tui Waialiki. My wife Sina and our daughter, Moana. We have come from... afar. Searching for a place to call home."

"Why don't you get settled first? I'm sure we can whip up something to eat for you, you must be hungry", offered Cass with a welcoming smile. "You are welcomed to stay as long as you want."

While the eight adults walked ahead, the teens stayed back. Moana was about their age. She had wild, dark curls and a defiant look in her eyes that reminded Hiccup a lot of Merida and Astrid. She was pretty and held herself with a certain sense of pride. There was an underlying, strong scent of alpha still hidden away beneath a layer of cotton. She eyed the five teens curiously.

"Hello", greeted Rapunzel first, all up in the new girl's face. "I'm Rapunzel, I'm a squirrel. This is Merida, she's a bear. And those three are Hiccup, Fishlegs and Toothless, they're dragons. Toothless is deaf so you have to face him when talking. What brought you here?"

Moana's eyes widened a little as she backed off a bit at the overly eager omega. Hiccup rested a gentle hand on Rapunzel's shoulder, gaining her attention and silently telling her to calm down. The blonde flushed a bit embarrassed before she took a step back.

"I am Moana. We... come from far away. Our island... and our neighboring islands... died. A disease spread throughout the plants, making them sick and leaving our... people sick", replied Moana, pain in her eyes. "We tried to stop it, yet it couldn't be helped. Our flock dissolved, looking for a place to stay. An island to stay. Our flock has been away from the main land too long to adapt to its ways."

"How far is far away? What did you _see_?", asked Merida eagerly, eyes sparkling.

Moana startled again, but now she looked in awe as she stared at Merida. "Your... hair. It's..."

"Untamable", supplied Hiccup casually, grinning a bit. "Would you like to come with us? My mom makes a mean casserole and if you've really been traveling that long, rest should sound good?"

"I've been dying to go on an adventure beyond our borders", continued Merida, not minding either of them as she waved her arms around. "And it's not like I'm _defenseless_ just because I'm an omega, you know? I can fight. No one's better than me with a bow and arrow. How did you do, out there? Did you have to fight? Trader Johann always talks about the dangers of pirates."

Moana continued blinking, looking rather overwhelmed by the eager redhead. "I... We didn't encounter any pirates, I'm afraid. But the long journey was still exciting enough, I guess."

"You have to tell me _everything_ ", declared Merida with a broad grin.

"Yes!", agreed Rapunzel eagerly, both omegas gladly flanking Moana with bright, eager eyes.

Hiccup chuckled amused as he watched how cornered their new arrival was. He knew their omegas were rather overwhelming at times. It was a big headache for Elinor DunBroch, who would love for their young omegas to be tame and agreeable. Berk taught everyone to be a fighter and Heather, 'despite' being an omega, was one of their best fighters. She, Rapunzel and Merida sought out adventure, dreamed of seeing the world. And their youngest omega on the island so far, Hiccup's little brother Hiro, oh, he would probably give Elinor an aneurism if he was hers.

"You'll get used to them", assured Hiccup, patting Moana's back. "Welcome to Dragon's Edge."

/break\

Hiccup had been right about the Waialikis. They did make things more interesting. Moana could mostly be found in the company of Rapunzel and Merida, or at sea. The three girls had a lot in common. Not just their adventurous streak, also their over-protective parents. Merida's mother Elinor, Moana's father Tui and Rapunzel's mother Gothel. Literally, Rapunzel's mom would prefer to just lock her away in a tower for safety reasons and Hiccup was pretty sure that Tui would book a room in that tower for Moana too. And that only got worse when they one by one presented.

The day Hiccup's scent fully hit, his life changed. It had only been a year now, he had presented at age sixteen. Over the past year, he had hit a growth spurt and he started filling out more (partially because he was now obligated to join the harsh alpha gym regime at high school). He was no longer the scrawny, awkward, short nerd. He was still a giant nerd, as his cousin Snotlout loved to remind him, but now he actually stood a chance in a physical fight against Snotlout.

"Hi—ics", whined Hiccup's younger brother.

Hiro was laying on his back on his bed, head hanging over the edge as he stared with large, pleading omega eyes up at Hiccup. Grinning amused, Hiccup entered the omega's room to ruffle his brother's fluffy hair. Sure, Hiro was three whole years younger than Hiccup, but the boy was probably smarter than half of Hiccup's class put together (which actually wasn't saying too much because Snotlout, Tuffnut and Ruffnut were all in Hiccup's class...).

"What do you want?", asked Hiccup amused, sitting down next to Hiro.

"Why's dad forcing me to attend high school?", sighed the frustrated boy. "I'm smarter than my whole class. This is so ridiculously boring and it's also embarrassing. Can't I like at least skip a couple of grades? So I'd be in the same class as Tadashi, or at least as you?"

Hiccup was a junior, Tadashi was a senior and Hiro was right now forced to be a freshman and he hated it with a passion. Hiccup had to admit, both himself and Tadashi were very intelligent and were brilliant engineers and inventors, but Hiro was a certified genius. Theoretically, he could have just skipped ahead to join in as a senior, but Stoick had put his foot down. He wouldn't allow his omega son to just hang out with three years older alphas all day long; it was important for Hiro to spend time with children his own age. And Hiro totally hated it so far.

"You know why dad made you go", chuckled Hiccup as he got more comfortable on the omega's bed. "You should connect to your own generation. Just because your mind is ahead of the others doesn't mean you should just skip your childhood and fast-forward."

"Yeah, but... it's not just my _mind_ ", reminded Hiro with a heated, embarrassed glare. "I'm the _only_ one in my class who already presented. You know how everyone keeps looking at me? Like I'm not enough of an outcast because I'm a know-it-all. No, I also had to be an omega. _And_ present early."

Hiccup winced a little as he ruffled Hiro's hair apologetically. They were family, yes, but not blood family. Hiro was a young omega living with three alphas – Stoick, Hiccup and Dagur. Honestly, at times their house was too stuffed as it was and everyone constantly kept bringing visitors over; all the alphas kept bringing alphas over. The pheromones all over the den had triggered Hiro into presenting early. Or maybe it was his brain that was so much ahead of everyone else that it had decided to also release the pheromones early on. They couldn't really be sure, but it was rather early for anyone to present at age fourteen. Whining, Hiro snuggled up more to Hiccup, resting his head on the alpha's chest and allowing Hiccup to continue caressing his hair.

"Hiro, did you steal my laptop again?!", called Tadashi out, cussing beneath his breath as he entered the bedroom, just to pause when he saw Hiccup and Hiro cuddling. "Oh. Are we having cuddles?"

Hiro stuck his tongue out at Tadashi. "I didn't steal your stupid laptop. I think Dagur took it to watch porn again. So you might want to disinfect it before using it. Also, yes, I am having cuddles with my _favorite brother_ who's always on my side unlike certain other brothers of mine."

Hiccup grinned to himself as he pulled Hiro closer so Tadashi could sneak in on his other side. Tadashi had openly sided with Stoick on the matter and Hiro was being pouty about it. Not that the two biological brothers weren't already always bickering anyway. Somehow, Hiccup most of the time ended up in the middle of it. Tadashi sat down next to Hiccup and reached over to ruffle Hiro's hair, making the omega huff and openly glare at his older beta brother.

"I thought you were getting along with some people in your class", offered Hiccup gently.

"Oh, sure, Honey's little brother Monty is being nice to me because Tadashi asked Honey Lemon who then asked her brother Monty to please be nice to me", snorted Hiro irritated. "But he's cool."

"Wait. Weren't you totally excited just last week?", asked Heather confused as she entered the room. "You were talking all excitedly about this one nice boy. What was his name again..."

"Monty, he just said", supplied Hiccup, raising one eyebrow at their adopted sister.

Heather rolled her eyes pointedly as she stalked up to the bed and sat down cross-legged opposite Hiccup. "No, silly. Something with 'J'. Jack...? No. J... J..."

"Jamie!", called Dagur out from the hall. "His name's Jamie Bennett and he's an alpha-to-be."

"How does _he_ know?", asked Heather surprised, staring in utter betrayal at Hiro for rather sharing with her biological brother instead of with her, since she was also an omega.

Dagur entered the room with one of his slightly insane grins. "Oh, pack cuddles! Siblings!"

The next moment, the bed creaked as all of the Hamada-Haddocks gathered on Hiro's thankfully large bed, Hiro squished between Hiccup and Heather as Dagur tried hugging Heather and Hiccup as close as possible, while Tadashi rolled his eyes a little fondly.

"Well, how _did_ you know? I don't think I've heard the name before from Hiro", asked Tadashi.

"Oh, he has it written in his diary, in blue glitter pen with tiny robots around", replied Dagur.

"You read _my diary_?!", exclaimed Hiro and started beating Dagur with his pillow.

"Ouch! Hey, I read everyone's diary!", defended Dagur as he tried dodging. "But Hiccup, Heather and Tadashi only write boring stuff. You have all the teen angst, it's entertaining. Ouch."

After a couple more hits from Hiro, the five siblings settled back into their puppy-pile. It was important for a pack to recharge like that, for family even more so. Especially when one of their omegas was upset, or at least pouty. Hiro visibly relaxed more, squished between his siblings like that. And Hiccup kind of felt the same way. He loved his family, even when Dagur annoyed the hell out of him, or Heather occasionally teamed up with her alpha best friend Astrid to tease Hiccup.

"I hate you all. Hiccup is the only sibling I'm going to keep", grumbled Hiro irritated.

Hiccup preened at that, grinning just with an edge of smugness. After all, it stroke his alpha pride that his little omega brother sought him out. Though he had to admit that he was now going to look out for this Jamie Bennett alpha character that Dagur had just mentioned. What had this alpha done to make Hiro flip on being kind of okay with school right back to wanting to jump ahead or skip.

The five remained like that until new scents flooded their den from downstairs, booming voices and heavy footsteps. Hiccup, Tadashi and Hiro immediately perked up at the scent of Nick Saint North. Yes, they used to play in Gobber's workshop a lot, but Gobber was just a smith. Nick Saint North was an inventor, a brilliant inventor. His house was high up on the snowy mountain, secluded from the rest of the tribes because he never wanted to chose between Berk and Burgess, and the house was _amazing_. It was one big adventure, stuffed with all the incredible inventions. All three of them completely adored him and learned a lot on the sidelines from Nick.

"We could go downstairs and see what Nick wants?", offered Heather amused.

Her eyes were sparkling as she watched her three nerd brothers stare longingly at the door. The moment she said it, all three were already out of the door. Heather and Dagur exchanged an amused and fond look before following the three dorks. The five teenagers made their way downstairs and then lingered in the doorway to the living room, peeking around the corner to see what the adults were doing. After all, they didn't know if this was official Alpha business and poking their noses in then would be a bad mistake. Stoick was just leading Nick Saint North as well as the DunBrochs into the living room where Toothiana Saint North was already fluttering around nervously. She looked sad, which was more than rare. She was the island's dentist and she literally always had a bright, white smile for everyone. Seeing her with her feathers ruffled and sad eyes was strange.

"What do you think happened?", whispered Hiro wide-eyed, staring up at the older teens.

All they could do was shrug as they watched curiously. The three larger-than-life alpha men sat down on the couch, while Elinor tried to ease Toothiana into sitting down too. Only moments later did Cass enter from the kitchen with a tray of tea and cookies.

"What can we do for you, Nick?", asked Stoick, voice low and soothing.

"I have a request, my friends", sighed Nick, stroking his long white beard. "I know I have never picked side and I know Tooth and I do not fully integrate in either pack, da. But... I need help."

"You're part of both packs, as far as I'm concerned", declared Fergus loudly, clapping Nick's shoulder hard. "Whatever it is, I'm sure Stoick and I can help. What is it?"

"My niece Katherine and her mate recently passed away", started Nick with sad eyes.

"I am so sorry", whispered Cass gently, handing him a cup of tea.

"Thank you", nodded Nick absentmindedly. "I had not seen her in long time. But that is not why I am here. She had two cubs and I am the closest family the cubs have."

"Will you leave?", asked Elinor with a concerned frown.

"No", chuckled Nick sadly, shaking his head. "The children, they did not take it well. Tooth and I, we talked to their social worker on the phone, she said it might be better for children to move."

"And now we're worried, because we don't really have a pack to offer to the two and we wanted to make sure that there would be... a place for them here", added Toothiana, picking on her feathers.

"Cubs? Cubs will always be welcomed here!", declared Fergus eagerly, slapping his thigh in excitement. "Of course there will be a place for them here, won't there Stoick?"

"Of course, we would never turn our back on those in need, especially not two cubs", agreed Stoick seriously. "Can you tell us about them? What are they like?"

"I... don't truly know", admitted Nick, looking sad and a bit ashamed. "It has been long since I last saw Katherine and her children. I remember, Jackson was just tiny little kit when I last saw him."

"Kit?", echoed Cass, perking up a little.

"Yes! He is fox, like you, but also not", agreed Nick with a jolly laughter.

"...I don't understand", admitted the kitsune-shifter, tilting her head.

"He is Arctic fox. Snow white", elaborated Nick, gesturing wildly and eyes sparkling as he spoke of the cub. "He was very endearing little kit. I think his sister Mary, she came after Katherine. She is a wolf cub. Jack is an omega, he is Merida's age."

"Another omega", whispered Elinor with a hint of eagerness.

Everyone knew how important omegas were to a pack. They provided the comfort and love that made a pack feel like home, not to mention they were the most fertile of genders and would guarantee more young ones in the future; something every pack needed.

"A white fox?", asked Hiro excitedly, turning to look up at Tadashi. "This is _epic_!"

"He's probably doing good living with Nick then", mused Tadashi thoughtfully.

Nick was a polar-bear shifter, which was why he had retreated into the mountains upon moving here. They were an odd pair; the polar-bear and the bird of paradise. But Nick and Tooth were always warm toward everyone, which was why they worked, or so Hiccup guessed.

"I have to tell Punzel and Merida about this", whispered Heather as she headed back upstairs.

Tadashi headed out, because he had a study session with his friends. Dagur also left, leaving Hiro and Hiccup remaining to wonder what an Arctic fox shifter might look like, or what he'd _be_ like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was important to me to give some more insight into the Haddock-Hamada family since I did change those dynamics quite a bit! I just adore the idea of Tadashi, Hiro and Hiccup being tinkering brothers. And I do love how Dagur basically claims Hiccup as his brother while Heather and Hiccup thought for a little while that they were siblings - so I had to include them in this.
> 
> Now, I'm aware not as many are familiar with the cartoon series as with the movies. But, really, if you even just enjoyed the movies, go and watch the series. It's a beautiful bridge between the two movies, filling the time-gap and the vast changes from movie one to movie two.
> 
> One more thing; I genuinely hate the fanon that Jack's sister is named Emma. It's such a random name, I wish the person who came up with it would have been more familiar with the author. William Joyce, who wrote the Guardians books, lost his daughter Mary Katherine and has been making a bit of a point of naming characters after her - there's a character named Katherine in the books too - and the main character of his movie "Epic" is named Mary Katherine. He also has a son named Jackson, so... I'm pretty sure if William Joyce had given Jack's sister a name in canon, it would be Mary. So yeah, I headcanon her name to be Mary despite the fact that 98% of fanfiction adapted the fanon of her name being Emma. Just in case you were so used to her name being Emma and were wondering.
> 
> Moving on; the next chapter is going to introduce Jack and Mary! It'll also give a bit more insight into Moana and how she's been settling into her new life ;)


	3. Alpha and Omega

_Chapter 3: Alpha and Omega_

Moana poked her head into her parents' bedroom to make sure Tui and Sina were still asleep. Once that was confirmed, she continued down the stairs and out of the house on swift feet. Her feet found the way on their own, even with her mind already miles ahead. After all, it had become her weekend routine at this point. Standing on her tiptoes, she tossed a stone against the window at the high tower of the mansion down the alley. The window opened and Rapunzel poked her golden-blonde head out. Grinning broadly, Rapunzel used her ridiculously long hair as a rope to climb down. Her mother was _very_ smothering, even more so than Moana's father. With a small squeak did the squirrel girl land next to Moana. Moana smiled pleasantly and the girls brushed cheeks before linking fingers and running up the hill toward the looming, centuries old castle of the DunBroch family. A soft smile lit up Moana's eyes as she spotted the fiery redhead sitting perched on the roof, waiting for them. Over the past three years of living on Dragon's Edge, Moana had grown extremely fond and protective of both omegas, but her fondness for Merida was slightly different from her fondness for Rapunzel. Rapunzel was adorable and made Moana protective in that way the younger ones from her old pack had made her feel. Merida was so different though. Moana was completely enthralled by the fiery, red hair that spread everywhere like real fire. Yes, both omegas sought out freedom and adventure, but Rapunzel was so gentle and sweet and innocent. Merida? She was _fierce_. Strong. Moana admired her, far beyond what would be healthy between friends.

"I had to bribe the dweebs with _my_ piece of chocolate cake", pouted Merida as she elegantly climbed down and landed next to Rapunzel and Moana.

"I'll invite you to another piece today", offered Moana nearly instantly, smiling.

"We could go to the Lucky Cat Café later!", suggested Rapunzel as they headed for the docks.

Dragon's Edge had a harbor, since its main source of food was fishing, something where Moana's family had easily integrated themselves into, and their main source of delivery of goods was from trader Johann coming to their island. The three girls sneaked onto the _Heart of Te Fiti_ – Moana's small sailing ship – and left Dragon's Edge. They worked like a well-oiled machine, untying the sail and preparing their ship. They did this every Saturday, just the three of them – sometimes, they would allow Hiccup or Flynn to tag along, but normally it was just the three of them. They would venture through the archipelago to which Dragon's Edge belonged; theirs was the largest island in the archipelago and the only inhabited one. The islands around it were only inhabited by various races of dragons. Hiccup, Rapunzel and Fishlegs loved traveling to the islands to draw the dragons; the two boys (read: nerds) trying to catalog them and still hoping to find new races. Merida and Moana just sought adventure. They tried going farther and farther, hopeful to find something new and exciting one day. Maybe new dragons, maybe a real adventure. Maybe one day.

"Ah, if it isn't Captain Waialiki!"

Moana blinked slowly and turned to see the ship next to theirs. She smiled at trader Johann and waved briefly while watching Rapunzel climb up into the crow's nest to be on eye-level with the trader's guest. Huh. It was rare for Johann to have actual passengers.

"Hello", chimed Rapunzel with a bright smile, tilting her head.

"You're pretty", whispered the little girl in awe.

Rapunzel giggled at that, smiling gently at the young brunette. Merida climbed onto the rail to stand higher and catch a glimpse herself. Moana watched her fondly as she steered her ship to follow along with Johann's. All the while, Merida was climbing her way up the mast too by now.

"Who is your guest, Johann?", asked Moana interested.

"This young lady is Mary Overland", laughed Johann, resting a hand on the cub's head. "I'm escorting her and her brother to Dragon's Edge."

"Oh! Oh, that means your brother is the omega Heather told us about!", exclaimed Rapunzel eagerly. "You're Nick Saint North's niece and nephew, right? This is exciting!"

Mary smiled shyly and nodded. Merida jumped from the _Te Fiti's Heart_ over onto the trader's ship to check out the small girl and see what that new omega was like. Only that there wasn't an omega.

"Where is he?", asked Merida curiously, looking around.

"Down below. He doesn't like traveling like this", hummed Mary and tilted her head. "Your hair is funny! Are you all from the island we're going to move to?"

"Yes, we are", smiled Rapunzel, laughing a little as Mary squealed and started patting Pascal. "I'm Rapunzel Gothel. That's Pascal, he's my companion. And those are my friends Merida DunBroch and Moana Waialiki. We're all really looking forward to you guys moving to our island!"

While Rapunzel talked to Mary and Moana was engaging Johann in a conversation, Merida ventured deeper into the ship, following her nose. The other omega smelt curious. Like snow. Not that the scent of snow was something foreign to Merida; there was more than enough snow on their island. But Merida had never met a _person_ who smelt like snow. And it wasn't just snow. Jack's scent was that of snow and marshmallows and a very fresh, cold winter-breeze.

Merida paused when she saw a heap of blankets on a hammock below deck. Cautiously, she approached it and pulled the blankets aside a little until a most curious head poked out. Merida stared in surprise. The other omega had _white_ hair. Aside from Nick Saint North, Merida had never met someone with stark-white hair and so far, she had kind of assumed that with Nick, it was due to age. The boy was frowning in his sleep, looking troubled. Merida frowned herself, but she nodded in silent acknowledgment as her curiosity was satisfied and she left again, heading back to Moana's ship. Once she reached the female alpha, Merida brushed their cheeks against each other. Moana was one of the _very_ few alphas who gave her a calm and safe feeling; the others being her own father and Hiccup, due to the friendship the two had formed through their little ruse of 'courting'. Only that Hiccup could irritate Merida and whenever he went on about his nerd-stuff, it would bore the living hell out of Merida. With Moana? She could talk about ships and sailing for hours and Merida wouldn't grow bored or tired of it. No, Merida could listen to Moana without a break.

"What's the omega like?", asked Moana curiously.

"Asleep", hummed Merida very softly so only Moana could hear her. "Figures though. Long journey and all. But he looks curious. He has white hair."

Moana hummed in agreement and ran an absentminded hand through Merida's curls. Merida leaned into the touch. She hated when people touched her hair. It was always those ridiculous 'Oh, your hair looks so fluffy, can I touch it?' questions that always ended with fingers in her hair without her consent. But with Moana it was different. It was reassuring, gentle. Nice.

/break\

Hiccup knew it was silly to be this excited about new arrivals, he wasn't a cub anymore after all, he should start viewing this as a grown-up alpha, as the future Alpha of this pack. Only...

"A male omega. Another male omega. I can _not_ wait", hissed Hiro as he paced in front of Hiccup.

...It was hard to try and be an adult while his little brother was that excited. Then again, Hiccup could completely understand that excitement. After all, Hiro was the only male omega on the island. Male omegas were so insanely rare, the fact that Hiro would finally have a chance to meet someone who was like him in that aspect, it was exciting, of course it was. Hiccup smiled knowingly as he continued setting the table with Tadashi's help. The beta had a study-date with GoGo later on and would not be present when their guests were to arrive, simply because they didn't want to overwhelm the new arrivals. It had taken them bribing and the help of Snotlout and the football team with a little extra training to lure Dagur out of the house – he was most definitely too much for the newbies. Heather had decided to sit that one out too, in favor of letting Hiro meet the new omega first. Cass had gone all out on the food today – thinking that the children surely must be hungry after the long journey. Tadashi smiled fondly at Hiro and ruffled the young omega's hair before locking eyes with Hiccup. When Hiccup nodded shortly, Tadashi bid his goodbyes, knowing that Hiccup would be able to handle Hiro. Cass was fidgeting with curiosity and excitement as they waited. Stoick sat straight and stiff next to his mate, only running his fingers slowly through his beard. Okay, so maybe Hiccup had a right to a certain level of excitement if it even affected their parents? After all, omegas _were_ rare and valuable to packs. To gain a new one was something great.

A knocking on the door interrupted Hiccup's musing, prompting him to get up. Not that he got a chance to open the door, because Hiro shot past him like a lightning bolt, nearly falling over Mochi who meowed scandalized. It didn't stop Hiro. Then again, as long-time cat-owners, stepping on their cat rarely stopped them in their tracks. Hiccup rolled his eyes fondly as he followed Hiro.

"Hiro, my boy! Good to see you!", laughed Nick delighted.

Hiccup was just frozen on the spot as Nick, Toothiana and two others entered the house. The little girl was about five years younger than Hiro, maybe around the age of the triplets better known as the bane of Merida's existence. She was a rather normal girl, with brown eyes and brown hair, smelling like an unpresented beta. The one who made Hiccup freeze in his steps was the omega. Hiccup had never seen anyone quite like this boy. His skin was pale, even paler than what Hiccup was used to around here, nearly white like porcelain. Two clear, crystal-blue eyes were looking at Hiccup curiously, snow-white hair falling into the other boy's face. The most curious thing was his scent, because the omega smelt like marshmallows and snow. Hiccup had never met someone who smelt like something synthetic; normally, they had natural scents, like plants and flowers and fruits. But this omega, he smelt like a... like a sweet treat, like a cute white cloud of sugary fluff. He was lithe in build and maybe half a head shorter than Hiccup. He was cute.

"Jackson and Mary Overland, my niece and nephew!", declared Nick proudly, one hand on the head of each of the children, ruffling their hair affectionately. "Children, this is the alpha of Berk, Stoick Haddock, his mate Cass and two of their children – Hiccup and Hiro!"

"Hello! There must be a lot of omegas here. We already met two when we were on the ship", said Mary curiously. "They had really cool hair. One had _really_ long hair and the other had totally fluffy, frilly, fire-red hair. I think my brother will fit right in here."

"Hello, Jackson. It's... nice to meet you", started Hiccup with a smile, holding his hand out.

"Jack. It's Jack", corrected the omega, eyeballing Hiccup's hand.

"Don't be so modest, my boy! Shake hands, become friends!", prompted Nick with a jolly laughter.

It took Jack a very long moment before he reluctantly took Hiccup's hand, eyes locked with Hiccup's as though he expected the alpha to flinch or do something stupid. Sure, Jack had _insanely_ cold hands – it was like that boy had no blood circulation at all – but that wasn't enough to make Hiccup flinch, because oh boy, Jack's hand was so soft and it fit perfectly into Hiccup's.

"It's... It's nice to meet you", said Hiccup in lack of a functioning brain.

"...You literally just said that", grunted Jack, raising one eyebrow.

"He's weird. Don't mind him. All my brothers are weird", sighed Hiro as he pushed between them. "I'm Hiro. I'm the only sane Haddock-Hamada brother. I'm also a certified genius, so there is that. So, you're an omega, like me? And you're a fox? Nick said you're a fox."

"I... I... yes", nodded Jack cautiously, backing off just a little.

"Ah, Jack here is very special omega-", started Nick eagerly, just to be interrupted.

"I'm _not_ , uncle Nick", interrupted Jack, voice sharp and an edge of cold.

Nick looked puzzled at that, but he refrained from finishing his thought. Hiccup frowned confused by that, but before he could get an edge in, conversations started happening. Hiro was firing away a hundred questions per minute, eagerly orbiting the other omega and probably praying in his mind that Jack was an intelligent human being – which, granted, was not a given on this island. Nick and Stoick started talking, Cass doted on Mary and started talking to the little girl with Toothiana fluttering about. Hiccup would love to spend some alone-time with Jack and maybe get another word in, but he doubted that between their families, that was going to happen.

/break\

"He is _gorgeous_. I'm not into omegas, but if I were...", grunted Astrid stunned.

The blonde female alpha was sitting on the stairs leading up to their high school, sitting two steps beneath her mate Eret, with the male alpha having his arms wrapped around her. Eret had been distracted by a conversation with his football teammates Snotlout and Dagur until that comment. All three male alphas turned when they heard Astrid's comment so they could see for themselves.

Hiccup shifted, suddenly uncomfortable. Uncomfortable by the attention Jack Overland was getting from all those alphas. It was Monday. The Saint Norths had only been over for a very brief lunch and since then, no one had seen hair or hind from either of their new arrivals. Until right now, where an excitingly fluttering Toothiana was dropping both Jack and Mary off at school.

"You did forget to mention that he's gorgeous, brother!", chided Dagur, laughing delighted.

Hiccup continued shifting, growing even more uncomfortable. He stood a little farther away from Astrid, Eret, Snotlout and Dagur. Next to Astrid sat her best friend Heather and next to Heather, with some distance between them, was her boyfriend Fishlegs. Hiccup? He and Toothless were sitting together with Fishlegs. Toothless had both eyebrows raised. He hadn't seen what Astrid or Dagur had said, but he noticed that everyone was staring at the pretty, white-haired omega.

" _That's him. The new omega. They said he's gorgeous_ ", signed Hiccup embarrassed.

" _Well, they're right. And judging by your blush, you already knew that_ ", countered Toothless.

Hiccup's blush intensified at that. Though before he had a chance to counter or fabricate a lie, Mary came running up to him, tugging on her older brother's hand so Jack would fall in line and not run off. Jack looked as awkward as Hiccup felt, avoiding to look at Hiccup.

"Hello!", greeted Mary with a polite smile, tugging on Jack's hand to thrust it at Hiccup. "You go to high school, right? Can you take care of my brother, please? I want him to be safe."

Hiccup was stunned for a long moment. But then again, the little girl had only recently lost her parents, of course would she be anxious and afraid to also lose her brother, especially now that they were in this strange, new environment. Jack heaved a sigh, looking displeased by Mary's request.

"Of course he will!", declared Fishlegs for his friend, patting Hiccup on the back. "After all, Hiccup here is the future Alpha of our pack! Your brother couldn't be in better hands."

Mary looked pleased by that and nodded before she ran back to Toothiana to be brought to the elementary school next door. Jack had his hands deep in his pants' pockets as he shifted on the spot, similar to how Hiccup had done when the white-haired omega had exited the car.

"Right. So. I'm here if you need anything", started Hiccup slowly, until the throat-clearing from the peanut gallery grew a bit too irritating. "Those are my friends Fishlegs, Toothless, Astrid, Snotlout and Eret. And... two of my other siblings, Dagur and Heather. Guys, this is Jack."

Jack nodded briefly in acknowledgment though he seemed to edge away as the alphas got up and closer to him. Heather also noticed and she easily let Astrid know with a look. Together, the two girls held the others a bit at bay. Hiccup continued marveling at how pretty Jack was.

"Well, what class are you in?", asked Heather with a smile when her brother failed to talk.

Sometimes, Hiccup was insanely grateful to have her in his family. "Right. Yeah. That... That is an excellent question. I can show you around, show you where you need to go. What... class?"

"I'm a sophomore", replied Jack softly.

"Hah! Perfect. So is Toothless. Surely, he can help you around!", declared Fishlegs pleased.

"Great idea, Fishface", grunted Snotlout and made a show of rolling his eyes. "And how's the new kid supposed to talk to Toothless? Will Toothless draw him pretty pictures? Pantomime?"

Jack frowned, clearly looking displeased. "What... is this? Are unmated alphas too good to talk to unmated omegas around here, or what? I mean, I have seen weirder, but that's... stupid."

"He doesn't talk to anyone. He's deaf and doesn't talk", said Hiccup hastily, motioning at Toothless.

The frown turned more curious as Jack looked at Toothless next to Hiccup. Tilting his head, Jack very slowly pulled his hands out of jeans and started signing – " _They're a pretty rude bunch, talking about you like you're not here_." Hiccup sputtered just a little bit at that, trying not to laugh.

" _They're not all rude_ ", signed Toothless back with a small, lopsided grin. " _D-a-g-u-r and S-n-o-t-l-o-u-t can be, yeah. But H-i-c-c-u-p is great. He's my best friend. But yeah, I'll show you the ropes._ "

" _I don't need someone to show me the ropes. I got to report to Principal... to the principal, get my schedule and then sit through classes_ ", countered Jack with a roll of his eyes.

"Principal Lunar", supplied Hiccup at that, kind of in awe at how fluent Jack's signing was (most who had bothered to learn for the sake of Toothless were still quite awkward and bad). "And... it can't hurt to have someone you know you can turn to for help, Jack."

"I don't **need** help", huffed Jack displeased, baring his teeth just a little.

"And no one suggested you're helpless", assured Heather hastily, smiling in a pacifying way before she turned to face Toothless. "Toothless, you think you could bring Jack to the office?"

Hiccup looked kind of displeased and embarrassed as Toothless took over what was clearly supposed to be Hiccup's duty as the future Alpha. He knew he was kind of socially awkward because he just wasn't too used to socializing, but this had gone about as bad as it could, in his humble opinion. He had planned on impressing Jack though. He wanted to leave a good impression!

" _Don't be so hard on Hiccup. He didn't mean it like that_ ", signed Toothless as they entered the school. " _Well, welcome to Walter Works High School. I'm sure you'll like it._ "

"...Can't be worse than my last school", muttered Jack beneath his breath, lip-movement too unclear for Toothless to properly read. " _Sure, whatever. And I'm not hard on this guy. I'm hard on every alpha. Just because I let you bring me to the principal's office doesn't mean we'll be best friends for life either. In my experience, unmated omegas and unmated alphas don't mingle well._ "

" _Well, we do mingle a lot in this school_ ", signed Toothless with a smile. " _And not all of us unmated alphas are douchbags. I'm pretty sure you'll grow to like us too._ "

" _Of course I will_ ", signed Jack with a slight snort as they walked the halls of Walter Works.

" _You better_ ", mused Toothless with a thoughtful frown as they reached the office labeled as Principal Mani Lunar. " _After all, this is the rest of your life now, J-a-c-k._ "

Jack was ready to knock and meet the principal, but before he could, Toothless caught him by the shoulder and redirected the omega's attention toward himself once more. Jack frowned.

" _You actually got an advantage, you know? Most need an interpreter to talk to Principal Lunar, because he is mute. I'll wait outside for you and bring you to class_ ", offered Toothless. " _And... do you... have a sign name? You sign so well. You must have one._ "

Toothless made the sign for his own name – which was quite literally the sign for 'toothless' with an N considering that was already his given nickname on this island. Jack copied the sign before rolling his eyes in realization that Toothless really was some kind of nickname. After another moment of reluctance did Jack do the sign for 'frost' with a J, cheeks just a little pink.

" _Frost. Heh. Whoever picked that sign for you had a great sense of humor_ ", signed Toothless while laughing softly to himself. " _J-a-c-k Frost. Well, this is it. Welcome to the rest of your life, J-a-c-k Frost. Your high school life anyway, but then again, that's the life that matters, right?_ "

Jack rolled his eyes at Toothless before he turned back to the door and pressed the small button next to it that would alert the principal of a visitor by flickering the lights. Toothless grinned broadly to himself as he watched Jack enter. He decided he already really liked Jack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda headcanon that Jack and Mary are the kids of Nightlight and Katherine from the books. And since Nightlight doesn't speak in the books, I figured he'd teach his kids sign-language in a mortal AU.
> 
> Also. Awkward, overwhelmed Hiccup is fun to write :DDD
> 
> Next chapter is going to focus on Jack, giving him some POV and having him meet others, like Jamie~ (Cue in two jealous Haddock-Hamada boys *looks at Hiccup and Hiro*)


	4. The Fox and the Hound

_Chapter 4: The Fox and the Hound_

The principal was a very pale and very round beta. He was also very kind, had given Jack the whole spiel about being new and being welcomed and if there was anything he needed, the principal's office would always be open for him. By the time Jack left with his class schedule, Toothless – what was it with this island and its weird names – was still waiting for him. He was alright. For an alpha.

" _What's your first class_?", signed Toothless curiously as he walked backward in front of Jack.

"Uhm... Art with... Mister Bunnymund?", offered Jack, holding the schedule on one hand.

" _Then I'd like to introduce you to some people_ ", signed Toothless with a broad grin.

Jack looked skeptical but he followed the alpha to a classroom. There was anxiety in the pit of Jack's stomach. He hated new settings. New people. New people normally didn't like _him_. The classroom they entered had fallen silent and all eyes were on Jack and Jack _hated_ that. It was always like that. Whenever he went somewhere, everyone would stare at him for his white hair, pale skin, his weird appearance. He was always that weirdo and that freak and he was _used_ to being called that. He was also used to being belittled by alphas. Both for being an omega and for looking so weird. No one wanted a pale, skinny, little omega. Jack shifted nervously.

"Oh my gosh, you're the new omega!", exclaimed a high-pitched voice.

Jack startled and stepped back, just to stumble into Toothless behind him. The black-haired alpha grasped his shoulder and steadied him with a gentle smile. Okay, so Jack might actually kind of like Toothless so far. Blinking slowly, Jack turned to look at the omega in front of him. Her flowery-scent gave her away as an omega. She smiled at him bright-eyed and... what was with that hair? His eyes widened as he looked at the very, _very_ long braid swaying behind her. Her hair was unnaturally long – and it was already compromised into a braid. It was also decorated with flowers.

"...Yes", replied Jack reluctantly.

"I'm Rapunzel Gothel! Hello!", greeted the blonde, eagerly shaking Jack's hand. "I'm a squirrel-shifter and an omega and I'm _so happy_ to meet you! Those are my friends!" She stepped aside a little to reveal three people behind her. A guy with ridiculously fluffy-looking dark hair, a girl with cloud-like red curls that were just _everywhere_ and a very exotic looking girl with long black curls. "This is Flynn Ryder, he's an alpha and a fox-shifter and my boyfriend. That's Merida DunBroch, she's also an omega and she's a bear-shifter. And this is Moana Waialiki, an alpha and bird-shifter."

Jack nodded briefly, no intentions of memorizing their names. Though he couldn't deny that he felt a little relieved that he was not the only omega with weird hair in this town, as he looked at the too-long golden-blonde hair of Rapunzel and the red cloud of fluff on Merida's head. He disregarded Flynn and Moana completely for now. He had just made too many bad experiences with alphas. He was not even going to waste his time trying to impress or befriend them. It'd only be a disappointment later on when they proved to be like every other alpha ever too. Which was why, just because Toothless seemed nice, Jack was not going to get invested either. He was used to being dropped by people, being disregarded when he proved to be too weird or too annoying or too little like a typical omega should be. Jack walked past them to sit in a corner, aware of their eyes on him.

/break\

"Jack, my boy! How was first day of school?"

Jack flinched just a little at the very loud, booming voice. Uncle Nick sure was the kind of person one needed to get used to. The man was nothing but kind and Jack very vaguely remembered him from his childhood. He definitely remembered the stories his mother Katherine used to tell about the jolly, caring man who had been the closest thing to a father Katherine ever had. The thought of his mother made his heart feel tight and tears sting in his eyes.

"It... It was fine", whispered Jack. "I'm tired. I'll take a nap."

"But... lunch?", asked Nick confused as he watched the boy head upstairs.

"I'm not hungry, uncle Nick", sighed Jack and shook his head.

He could see that his uncle wanted to object, but Jack was already in his bedroom and threw himself onto his bed, burying his face in his pillow. He hated this stupid island already. All those nosy people, being just curious about the new freakish omega. Once he wasn't new anymore, they would lose all interest in him again. Why should he get hopeful about them being interested in _him_?

"Did you make lots of new friends already?", asked his sister's soft voice.

Jack grunted into his pillow as his bed dipped and his sister snuggled up to him. "Why bother?"

"Because you're great", whined Mary, cuddling up more to him.

Sighing, he turned onto his side and opened his arms for his sister, hugging her close. "But I got you. That's enough. I don't need stupid alphas who are nice to me just to laugh in my face for believing they'd spend time with the weirdo. You _know_ that, Mary."

Mary whined and brushed her cheek against his. "You're not a weirdo. I know _that_."

"You do. But when they learn...", drawled Jack with a sneer before shaking his head. "How was your first day, sis? If anyone gave you a hard time, I will hunt them down."

Giggling, she hugged him again. "No, silly. They were really nice. And I already made friends!"

"Yeah?", asked Jack with a gently smile, caressing her hair.

The siblings sat up and she turned her back on him so he could braid her hair. "Yes! There is this set of triplets, they're like nearly identical and really mischievous, they totally remind me of you! Their names are Harris, Hubert and Hamish. They're the sons of the large, scary man with the red hair that we met when we arrived here. And Gustav, he's a dragon and he's funny because he wants to be the leader, like his big brother, or so the others say. But the _real_ leader is Sophie. She's so cool!"

"Yeah?", whispered Jack with a fond smile. "Tell me about her."

And Mary launched into a long-winded story about her new friends while Jack braided her hair.

/break\

Over the following few days, Jack very pointedly ignored all attempts at socializing from the four people Toothless had introduced to him. He also dodged Toothless whenever the dragon approached him. Mainly so because Toothless was _always_ with that Hiccup guy and some of the others and urgh, no, not after that first impression. Not gonna waste a minute.

"You're weird."

Jack flinched instinctively and thus nearly fell down the tree he was sitting on. He turned to glare at whoever had just spoken, finding a brunette alpha standing on the ground, grinning broadly. He had a book in his hands about legends, judging by the title.

"I know. So go away", grunted Jack, returning to his own book.

"Why? Oh, no, I didn't mean that being weird is bad!", exclaimed the brunette with a grin. "I've just seen you climb that tree every recess now and... I didn't know foxes liked climbing."

"Well, _I_ do", replied Jack shortly.

The alpha laughed and actually started climbing the tree too. "I'm Jamie. Everyone's talking about you, you know? New guy and all. Mysterious and cool, because you're 'too cool to talk to others'."

Jack blinked slowly and looked up from _The Son of Neptune_ to look at the brunette. "What?"

"You're the most exciting thing to happen to this island in years", pointed Jamie out. "We don't have a lot of stuff happening here. And a new omega moving here is totally exciting."

Sighing, Jack closed his book to glare at the alpha. "Well, I'm not exciting. So shoo."

"Shoo?", laughed Jamie amused. "I just wanna get to know you."

"Well, I don't wanna get to know anyone. Please. At my old school, we had this convenient agreement that people just looked through me and ignored my existence", stated Jack. "Do that."

Jamie legitimately looked terrified at that. "What? No. That's awful. I can see you. I'll not ignore you. Come on, friends aren't a bad thing. So, what are you reading there?"

"A book", was Jack's only reply before he opened the book again to continue reading.

/break\

Over the following week, Jamie proved to be the most persistent person on this island, though Toothless was a close second. Jack tried to ignore them, but they were more stubborn than anticipated and Jack might also have kind of sort of... liked them. That realization came to Jack in his second week on this island when Jack agreed to drop Mary off at her friend Sophie's, just to have Jamie open the door. The alpha looked surprised at him, staring.

"Jack! Hey. Do you wanna hang out?", asked Jamie eagerly.

"No. My sister wants to hang out with... who I assume is your sister", drawled Jack.

And just then a blonde girl pushed past Jamie, giggling in excitement. "Mary! Come, come, come, the triplets are already coming up with a plan for today and I need to veto them!"

Sophie grabbed Mary's hand and pulled her inside. Jack frowned as he looked after them.

"Wanna come in?", offered Jamie gently, opening the door further.

Jack glared and wanted to say 'no'. But if he was really, really honest, he was so _lonely_ and bored. The curse of an omega. This instinct to seek out others was just so strong. Sighing and rolling his eyes, he walked in and followed a now very excited Jamie inside. The alpha had actually started reading _The Lightning Thief_ after seeing Jack read the books for the past few days, trying to talk to Jack about them. He was persistent and didn't allow to be shaken off, but he was also not being pushy. He wasn't imposing some kind of alpha superiority and trying to push Jack. If anything, Jamie acted pretty beta around Jack actually. And it was kind of appreciated.

"Soph and the others are just outside. You wanna watch a movie?", asked Jamie eagerly.

Jack peeked out of the backdoor to see three red-headed boys, a brunette boy and Mary and Sophie playing at a treehouse. He smiled slightly as he heard his sister's laughter. Only then did Jack reluctantly follow Jamie toward the living room where the brunette sat down on the couch.

"So, what movies do you like?", asked Jamie curiously.

"Comedies. But only 80s and 90s comedies. The new stuff is all... just rehashing and cheap copying of the good old stuff", declared Jack in challenge.

Jamie frowned as he got off the couch again to scan the DVD shelf. "Okay... Police Academy?"

Jack perked up a little. "Okay. I can get down to that."

He sat down on the couch comfortably and watched how Jamie popped in the movie.

/break\

Hiccup frowned, an upset pout on his lips as he sat in the shade of the gym together with Fishlegs and Toothless. It had been a little over two weeks now that Jack Overland had moved to Dragon's Edge. And Jack had made a spectacular job of ignoring Hiccup. Granted, that was mainly Hiccup's fault probably, because he had yet to recover from that awkward first impression. Every time Hiccup stood in front of Jack, his brain completely failed him. The omega was just so... much. So intense, with the eyes and the unimpressed looks he gave every alpha and he was so cute and Hiccup just couldn't concentrate on words when he was around Jack.

" _You're so bad at this_ ", teased Toothless amused. " _So I heard that he's making friends with the Freshmen. Jamie Bennett and his friends. And he's actually been talking to me. Sometimes. He's very... reluctant. I think he's still very busy mourning his parents. Loss is... hard._ "

Hiccup heaved a shaky sigh and nodded. He guessed the same thing. Jack and Mary had just lost their parents, their home, everyone they knew. Of course would making new ties be hard on Jack.

"But he's getting along gre—eat with _Jamie_ ", grumbled Hiccup peeved.

Toothless snickered, showing his fangs. " _Jealous brat. I introduced him to Rapunzel and Merida on his first day. He at least started working with the other two omegas during group projects and he even talks to us during class. It'll be a slow process, but I'm sure he'll warm up to you too, Hics._ "

Hiccup continued grumbling to himself. Why was he so bad at this? At everything? But especially at talking to an omega. A pretty omega like Jack, at that. A confident omega like Jack. Confident omegas were not impressed by stuttering, blanking alphas. He knew that from Merida.

/break\

Hiro was laying curled together on Hiccup's bed, a glower on his face. Hiccup paused a little as he saw that. That was where Hiccup had planned on throwing himself to pout and soak in misery.

"...Little brother?", asked Hiccup gently. "What's wrong?"

"I was so eager for the new male omega to move here", grumbled Hiro. "And... And now we barely even spoke. I dunno why I thought we'd be like instant best friends. But that he'd steal Jamie..."

Hiccup's eyes widened at that and he nodded slowly. Right. Hiro _liked_ Jamie. And now that Jamie invested so much time into befriending Jack, Hiro was jealous. Even more so than Hiccup.

"Hey, they're just friends", whispered Hiccup gently as he started caressing Hiro's hair. "You don't need to be jealous. Jack's not trying to steal your alpha. And you and Jack can still become friends."

Hiro grumbled beneath his breath and hugged his pillow closer. "I asked Jamie if he wanted to go to the library with me and he told me that he was going on a run with Pippa and _Jack_."

Hiccup squinted thoughtfully. As the future Alpha, Hiccup made a point of vaguely knowing all the 'sub-packs' of their island. And Jamie was the Alpha of a small group, with Cupcake the alpha bear, Pippa the beta wolf, Monty the beta bunny and little brother of Honey Lemon, as well as the twins Caleb and Claude, the beta bears and brothers of Wasabi. Since Jamie himself was a hound, he had the urge to go on runs. That was the problem of mixed racial packs; different shifters had different urges. So Jamie and Pippa usually went on runs with older canine shifters. But what with Jack being a fox and being still very cautious about his new surroundings, it was probably the best when Jamie and Pippa went on a run with Jack alone, without so many others there to make the omega anxious.

"Go with them", prompted Hiccup casually. "You don't always have to go on runs with Tadashi and GoGo. Go with them. Befriend Jack, flirt with Jamie, don't _ever_ tell dad or Tadashi that I suggested the latter because then I'll be scalped. But yeah, go out and have some fun, Hiro."

Hiro looked doubtful and wiggled his nose. "...Okay."

/break\

Jack was excited. He had started out nervous, unsure why he had agreed to go on this run, but his instincts screamed at him that he _needed_ this. It had been so long since he had last been on a family run. So when Jamie had, sweetly, asked if Jack and Mary would like to go running with the Bennett-siblings, Jack had allowed himself to be roped into this.

" _Ja—ack, Jack, catch me!_ ", called Mary giddily.

Mary wasn't like Jack. Not at all. Mary wasn't an omega and Mary wasn't a fox. She was a wolf and she was eagerly running through the snow, chasing after the two hounds in front of them. The Bennett-siblings. Jack's heart felt just a little warmer as he watched his little sister chase after them. It was ridiculous. An alpha allowing an omega to chase him. But that was just Jamie. He was sweet and kind and caring. He was gentle and did everything to make Jack feel better. In the past three weeks of living here, Jack had really grown fond of Jamie. He kind of liked Toothless and Rapunzel and Merida too, but Jamie might just be his favorite. Jack wasn't ready to use the 'f'-word, but Jamie _might_ just be the closest thing to a friend that Jack had here.

"Hey, guys. Look who I found!"

Jack startled a little and turned to look at Pippa, a beta wolf from Jamie's class and group of friends. The wolf was patting toward Jack with a small red fox trailing behind her. The fox smelt like omega, giving Jack some pause. Jamie, Mary and Sophie returned to them too at that.

" _H—Hiro_ ", stuttered Jamie, ears flickering a bit.

The little red fox nodded and came to circle Jamie, tilting his head. Jamie followed right away and the two circled each other. Hiro. The son of the chief. The eager little one who had been jumping around Jack on the first day but been... sulking in the shadows since then. Oh. Oh, the other male omega _wanted_ to approach Jack but hadn't had the guts to. Now Jack felt bad. He knew what it felt like to be the only male omega around. Hiro had probably gotten really excited about Jack and Jack had been so deep in his own head, his own pain, that he hadn't even noticed the other omega. Not to mention that Jack had been busy building walls to keep everyone out.

"I thought I could run with you? If... you don't mind", asked Hiro cautiously.

Jamie yelped and the hound jumped up a little, startling Hiro before Hiro followed the lead and also jumped a little. Jack tilted his head as he watched the fox and the hound play around in the snow for a little bit. Sophie and Mary were also busy playing, so Jack was startled when a wet nose poked him. When he turned, he saw Pippa looking at him curiously.

"Tag. You're it", declared Pippa, wagging her tail.

Jack tilted his head confused as the female beta ran off, clearly asking Jack to follow her. He had so many problems with this island. Or rather, his problem was that he didn't have problems. Blinking, he decided to chase after Pippa until he caught the she-wolf and had her pinned.

"Feeling a bit better?", asked Pippa softly, nipping Jack's ear.

"...Yeah. The running helps", admitted Jack and heaved a sigh.

"Wanna talk about why you seem so... uncomfortable all the time?", asked Pippa gently.

The two of them walked in a slightly slower pace, watching the other four still play around. The way Jamie and Hiro moved with each other, they sure were familiar with each other. And it really was a bit of a ridiculous picture to see a fox play with a hound like that.

"I don't understand this island", admitted Jack, voice low as he ducked his head. "Where I'm from, alphas don't just befriend omegas. They try to impress omegas to add to their bedpost notches. And... female omegas normally make fun of me. The abominable male omega. The freak."

Pippa nodded slowly, seemingly in understanding. And something in her eyes was gentle, like she did understand. Maybe not what Jack was feeling, but perhaps that it had hurt Jack. When cautiously semi-befriending Jamie, Jack had gotten to know Jamie's little pack too. Cupcake was a weird one, but in a funny way. She was this large, bulking alpha and yet she always wore pink and pretty princess dresses. Jack had kind of a soft spot for her. Monty was a bookworm, which was sort of endearing. Caleb and Claude were jocks – one was on the soccer team and one on the football team and they regularly switched places because the twins liked to pretend to be the other. And Pippa, she was the calm, reasonable one. She was definitely the Beta to Jamie's Alpha.

"Well, Dragon's Edge is better. We're all really close. We're one pack. We stick up for each other. Sure, there are always some who try to prove they're better than the rest or think they're entitled to something, but... overall, the alphas around here are more protective of omegas than trying to collect them like trophies. You should really give us a chance", proposed Pippa.

Jack hummed, not replying verbally but rather watching how Hiro and Jamie were playing around. Jamie was living proof of how alphas on this island were. Maybe he could give them a chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't noticed yet; this fic is a Slow Burn. Very slow. But next chapter will have Jack befriending Rapunzel and Merida and he will also give Toothless and Hiccup a chance. So. We'll get some positive HiJack interaction. It's due time for that, I know!


	5. Big Hero 6

HTTYD || HiJack || RotG || The Shifters of Walter Works High || RotG || HiJack || HTTYD

Title: The Shifters of Walter Works High – The Dragon and the Arctic Fox

Fandom: Disney/DreamWorks; crossover AU

Disclaimer: All rights concerning the movies reserved to DreamWorks/Disney respectively. 'Guardians of Childhood' is property of William Joyce. 'How To Train Your Dragon' is property of Cressida Cowell. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Warnings: shounen-ai, ABO-verse, shifters, mating, heat, sex toys, explicit intercourse, anal, oral, hurt/comfort, fluff, mpreg, shoujo-ai, hetero, polyamory (threesome)

Main Pairing: Hiccup/Jack

Side Pairings: Jamie/Hiro, Moana/Merida, Flynn/Rapunzel, Eret/Astrid, Honey/Fishlegs/Heather, Fred/Ruffnut, Tadashi/GoGo, Stoick/Cass, Nick/Toothiana, Pitch/Gothel, Fergus/Elinor, Tui/Sina

Rise of the Guardians Characters: Jackson Overland, Mary Overland, Toothiana, Nicholas Saint North, E. Aster Bunnymund, Sanderson ManSnoozie, Kozmotis Pitchiner, Jamie Bennett, Sophie Bennett, Cadence 'Cupcake' Miller, Pippa Morgan, Monty Jones, Caleb Jenkins, Claude Jenkins

How To Train Your Dragon Characters: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Toothless, Stoick the Vast, Fishlegs Ingerman, Heather, Snotlout Jorgenson, Tuffnut Thorston, Ruffnut Thorston, Astrid Hofferson, Eret Eretson, Gustav Larson, Dagur the Deranged, Gobber the Belch, Gothi

Big Hero 6 Characters: Tadashi Hamada, Hiro Hamada, Cass Hamada, Baymax, Fred Lee, GoGo Tamago, Honey Lemon, Wasabi No-Ginger, Mochi

Tangled Characters: Rapunzel, Flynn Rider, Stabbington Brothers, Mother Gothel, Pascal, Maximus

Brave Characters: Fergus DunBroch, Elinor DunBroch, Merida DunBroch, Harris DunBroch, Hubert DunBroch, Hamish DunBroch, Angus

Moana Characters: Moana Waialiki, Sina Waialiki, Tui Waialiki

Summary: Walter Works High School is a place where shifters of all races and secondary genders learn together. It's located right at the borders of two very small towns and due to their size, the small towns share the high school. Hiccup, a young alpha dragon-shifter, is the son of the Alpha of Berk, one of the two towns. He's well respected and well-liked by others. Everyone expects Hiccup to one day be mated to Burgess' heir Merida, the omega bear-shifter. Both teens have been fighting this tooth and nail for years now, being good friends but nothing more.

One day, Jack Overland moves to Burgess and the gorgeous omega instantly catches the interest of Hiccup. The problem is that Jack is from a part of the world where omegas are seen as the lowest and most worthless of shifters, so he has no idea how to handle his new surroundings – a community of mixed racial shifters that live peacefully and see omegas as precious.

**The Shifters of Walter Works High**

_The Dragon and the Arctic Fox_

_Chapter 5: Big Hero 6_

Jack took a very deep breath as he braced himself for what was to come. Pippa had reassured him, in a way, making him feel like perhaps, maybe, he _could_ give the alphas a chance. At least _some_ of them. Toothless was a good start; Jack already was kind of fond of Toothless. But baby-steps for now. Tiny little baby-steps, which he took into the cafeteria right now.

"Hey. Can... I sit with you...?", asked Jack softly, a little nervously.

Jamie looked up at him surprised. Jack had never spent the lunch-break in the cafeteria. He only spent it out in his tree. Sometimes, Jamie would join him, but mostly Jamie sat with his friends inside and ate. This was the first time Jack had entered the cafeteria and put himself out there to spend his lunch-break with others. Pippa smiled pleased at him from where she sat opposite of Jamie. Next to Pippa was Monty, the blonde boy pushing his glasses up as he regarded Jack surprised. The twins Caleb and Claude were roughhousing a little, though they paused as they regarded the omega standing next to their table. Cupcake and Hiro were on either side of Jamie and they too looked at Jack with mild surprise, though Cupcake was fast to return to her lunch and namesake – pink home-made cupcakes. Jamie smiled brightly as he nodded.

"Of course you can, Jack! Where do you want to sit?", asked Jamie with a friendly voice.

Tilting his head, Jack pulled a chair up at the short end of the table between Pippa and Hiro. Hiro stared at him a little wearily. Jack did his best to offer a kind smile to the other omega. Biting his lips, he opened his lunch-bag and took out the cookies uncle Nick had made for him.

"Do you guys... want some?", asked Jack shyly, pushing the bag into the middle of the table.

"They're from Nick?", asked Caleb eagerly and reached out.

"Don't mind if we do", chimed Claude, no less eager than his twin.

Jack spent very little time with Jamie's friends, but on occasion they had hung out at Jamie's together and Jack deemed them to be nice. It helped that Monty, Pippa, Caleb and Claude were all betas. Only Cupcake was an alpha too and she was, despite her grumpy exterior, pretty cool.

"How... are you settling in with the Saint Norths?", asked Monty tentatively, munching a cookie.

"It's... okay", shrugged Jack indifferently. "Uncle Nick is a good guy. I know he's trying, but he's... he's not... dad. And Toothiana is fluttery and fun and excitable, but... she's nothing like mom."

"I know what you mean", hummed Hiro softly, causing the others to pause and regard them both.

"You do?", asked Jack a little surprised, trying not to sound offended at the assumption.

"My parents died when I was three", replied Hiro, swallowing dryly and staring down at the cookie in his hand. "Our aunt Cass took me and my big brother Tadashi in and she's been our mom since then and when she and Stoick got married three years later... They're the only parents I know, but I often come to think that... they aren't, not biologically. She's not the woman who carried me and gave birth to me, they're not the ones who gave me my name and offered me the first smiles I saw in the world. Stuff like that. I often miss my biological parents, even though I didn't even really _know_ them. It's stupid, I guess, but yeah. You knew your parents. Of course do you miss them."

Frowning at that, Jack leaned in to brush his cheek gently against the other omega's. "It's not stupid to miss them just because you didn't get to know them. I'm... sorry you don't even get to know _what_ you're missing. I... at least I know what I miss about them."

"And what do you miss about them?", asked Jamie gently. "If... you wanna talk about it?"

Jack shifted a little and this time it was Hiro's turn to lean in and brush his cheek against Jack's in that soothingly comforting manner omegas did. Jack blinked slowly and smiled weakly.

"My mother was a wolf, like my sister Mary. But my father, he was like me. An Arctic fox. And we were the only foxes where we lived, but it was okay, because I had him, you know? He had silver-white hair like me and I was... I was always proud of that, that I looked so much like him. Mom would always say that. He was mute, so he taught me and my sister sign-language early on. And... And he used to play a lot of tricks on everyone in the village. He taught Mary and me how to best prank people too. We'd... We'd have hours long snowball fights", whispered Jack, slowly getting lost in his memories. "Mom always fussed. She always worried about us. But... But she told the best stories. They were so... lively. She'd make up those fantastic stories of time-traveling aliens and talking worms and people living on the moon... Mary and I, we never wanted to go to bed, we just wanted to listen to her stories all night long."

The others regarded him with sad but fond looks as they listened quietly. Jack was a little startled as Hiro snuggled up to him in comfort. It had been a while since Jack last got omega-cuddles. He had forgotten how grounding and soothing it was to have a fellow omega lend him support like that.

/break\

For the past couple of days, Jack had spent every lunch-break with Jamie's little pack and he was growing rather fond of Hiro in particular. The younger omega was also seemingly growing attached to Jack too, definitely more at ease with Jack now than he had been at first.

Deeming that experiment a success, Jack figured he was maybe-perhaps ready to take the next step and try to get to know his own classmates. Sadly, Jamie and the others were one year below him, after all. Jack fidgeted, far more nervous about this than he had been about approaching Jamie, considering he already knew Jamie and to some extend Jamie's friends.

He was aware that the others had _tried_ to approach him from day one – Rapunzel in particular. The squirrel-girl was insanely excitable and she seemed determined that Jack should become their friend. Jack had downright ignored them so far. But she had given him an open invitation to hang out with them whenever he wanted. She said they could either be found in the _Ugly Duckling_ , which was apparently the most frequented bar and restaurant of town, or the _Lucky Cat Café_. Jack had casually asked Toothiana about both establishments and thus learned that the _Ugly Duckling_ was apparently a very fun and special kind of place, while the _Lucky Cat Café_ was run by Cass Haddock-Hamada. Curiously, Jack made his way to the café that afternoon.

Jamie and the others had to cram for an upcoming test, so Jack figured that maybe the time had come to go and get to know his own classmates maybe a little better. The café looked nice, homey. With lots of panorama pictures of San Fransokyo. Jack stood in front of the wall, staring in awe. He had never been to San Fransokyo himself, he had never been to _any_ big city before.

"Hello and welcome to the _Lucky Cat Café_! My name is Heather. You looking for a seat?"

Jack turned slightly to face the beautiful black-haired omega. "No. Uhm. Just... looking for someone. Have... Rapunzel and the others maybe been in already today...?"

Heather smiled and nodded, leading Jack to the back of the café where six teenagers sat together at a table, laughing and talking. Rapunzel, Flynn, Moana, Merida, Toothless and Hiccup. Jack wanted to pause as he saw Hiccup but then he took a breath. He was going to give them a chance. He had promised Mary to try and make friends. Jamie and Toothless were nice and they were alphas. And Toothless was, apparently, best friends with Hiccup, so Hiccup couldn't be that bad.

"Brother! Look who I found and who's been looking for you guys", called Heather out.

Hiccup turned his head at that. Heather Haddock, then. One of the many kids of the Alpha-couple. Mentally, Jack tried to go through the Hamada-Haddock kids. Hiccup. Hiro. Hiro's older brother who Jack had yet to meet. Heather. Wasn't there another one or something...?

"J—Ja... Ja...", stammered Hiccup wide-eyed. Like always.

"J-a-c-k", spelled Flynn out helpfully, patting Hiccup hard on the shoulder. "It's not a hard name."

Hiccup glowered at the other alpha and sunk lower in his hair. Toothless and Merida next to him snickered knowingly, kicking Hiccup beneath the table. Moana next to Merida smiled and poked her chocolate cake with her fork, while Rapunzel on Flynn's other side perked up happily.

"Jack! You have decided to join us after all! That's wonderful!", exclaimed Rapunzel. "Sit."

Carefully, Jack slipped in next to Rapunzel, squeezing everyone on the booth a little closer together. Jack was incredibly nervous. He wasn't good with new people and while he had been on a couple group-projects with those particular classmates of his, he still wasn't really sure about getting to know them on a personal level. Rapunzel was so affectionate. Flynn, Moana, Toothless and Hiccup were alphas. Merida was a little weird. Jack kind of wanted to go home and curl together on his bed.

"So, what made you change your mind?", asked Moana directly, raising one eyebrow.

Jack shrugged his shoulders, focusing on the menu in front of him. "Was bored. Jamie and the others have to study for a test tomorrow. So... I figured... why not."

"Ja—amie, huh?", drawled Flynn with a broad grin, wiggling his eyebrows. "Been spending a lot of time with Ja—amie, haven't you? Unmated alpha and unmated omega, sitting in a tree – literally, hah. Don't tell me you already wrapped an alpha around your little finger?"

Jack looked over the rim of the menu with a deep frown. "No."

"...Good conversation, thanks", snorted Flynn a little amused.

"I have other things on my mind than _alphas_. Jamie is a... friend. A good friend. You people are friends too even though you're alphas and omegas too", countered Jack unimpressed.

"Ye—eah. Sure. Flynn and Rapunzel. Hiccup and Merida. Toothless. And I. We're good friends", drawled Moana and gave him a deadpan. "We're two couples and two fifth wheels."

"Well, maybe you and Jack...?", offered Flynn with a shit-eating grin, wiggling his eyebrows.

Jack furrowed his brows even more, ignoring the playful jibe from Flynn and instead focusing on the part where Moana suggested that Hiccup and Merida... Tilting his head, Jack looked between the now uncomfortable redhead and the equally uncomfortable brunette.

"It's like Romeo and Juliet, just a happy version", chimed Rapunzel with a smile. "Hiccup is the heir to the Berk-pack, Merida is the heir to the Burgess-pack. The borders are rather blurred, but instead of drama and fighting, we have romance and a united future and all of that."

Jack hummed and nodded. "So, does he stutter around every omega, or just newbies?"

Merida hollered in laughter at that. "He's an awkward bean, but I swear, he's not bad. He just needs some time getting used to people. Once he's comfortable, he's a sarcastic little shit."

"Excuse me?", huffed Hiccup indignantly.

"...It's the truth, don't try to fight it", snorted Moana and reached over to ruffle his hair.

Jack tilted his head, deciding to withhold judgment until he saw more of Hiccup. Maybe that was true. After all, he was different with the people he cared about than with strangers. And Hiccup was... a nice example of an alpha when looked at, but that didn't have to mean he was also confident. Maybe omegas in general made the alpha nervous.

/break\

"What got you in such a good mood?", asked Cass amused.

She barely had time to get out of the way as Hiccup barreled past her. Normally, she always had a hard time convincing him to work in the café because he preferred being in the forges or workshops. Baking was _not_ Hiccup's strong-suit and he was a little awkward in the service too. But for the past week, Hiccup had been very eager to work in the evening shift, which was odd.

"Jack's been coming in to get pastries and buns for the family lately, ever since he first tried your cakes", supplied Heather where she was putting on her apron. "And Hiccup is still trying to befriend Jack. Though... it's a work in progress. Hiccup really is too awkward for his own good."

Hiccup decided to ignore his mother and sister, instead heading out to where he could already see Jack waiting at the counter. The beautiful omega was bent over to inspect the cupcakes, cakes and pies that Heather, Cass and Honey, who worked part-time at the café, had baked.

"Hello, Jack", smiled Hiccup, immensely proud that he could speak full sentences by now.

...He really was a pathetic alpha, wasn't he? Just one beautiful and cheeky omega and Hiccup forgot how words worked. Jack was just so much of everything. And weirdly enough, the better he got to know Jack, the fonder he grew of the white-haired omega – yet at the same time he also grew more comfortable with him. Seeing the slowly forming friendship between Jack and the others, to see Jack more relaxed – it helped Hiccup relax too. The banter between Jack and Moana was fun and even though Hiccup was a bit afraid of the bad influence Flynn would be on the omega, there seemed to be a great friendship in the making between the two foxes.

"Hey", grunted Jack, looking up at Hiccup from beneath his lashes as he was still crouched down in front of the display. "So. A piece of that blueberry pie. And a piece of the strawberry pie. And for uncle Nick... whatever tastes the sweetest. Tooth-rotting sweet."

Hiccup laughed delighted as he got Jack's order ready. "Nick and Toothiana really are a match."

"Mh?", grunted Jack very confused as he straightened again.

"Nick with his sweet-tooth, being mated to the island's dentist", elaborated Hiccup. "That's how they met, you know? Nick broke off a tooth at a too-hard piece of fruit-cake. Came in to Toothiana's office and has been smitten with her ever since."

"...I didn't know that story", whispered Jack with a gentle smile.

That smile alone made Hiccup blush. "Uhm. So... I heard you joined the art-club?"

"Rapunzel has been bugging me ever since I came to this school. And Toothless said that you _have_ to have at least one kind of club-activity", sighed Jack. "They gave me some leeway since I was... in such a bad place and now new and all of that. But yeah... I gotta make a decision."

"Believe me one thing: You'd rather chose to join the art-club than getting stuck in the football team. It's a _nightmare_. I spent half a year on the team because my father insisted and it was murderous", muttered Hiccup with a horrified, wide-eyed expression.

The ringing sound of laughter startled Hiccup. Blinking slowly, Hiccup looked at Jack. The omega was even more beautiful when he was laughing – and this might just be the first time Hiccup saw him laugh. His ice-blue eyes sparkled brightly and his expression was so open and expressive. Hiccup found himself falling just a tiny bit for the omega. So far, he had mainly just marveled at Jack being a pretty omega and had been generally flustered because Jack was an omega. But now that Hiccup actually got to know Jack more, he felt himself quite enamored with the omega. So perhaps Toothless was kind of right that Hiccup had been jealous of Jamie, but that was when he had been just attracted to Jack on the base of Jack being a gorgeous omega. Now that Hiccup felt actually emotionally drawn to Jack, he was _incredibly_ glad that there was nothing going on between Jamie and Jack because it would probably completely crush him.

"T—There you go. Your order", grunted Hiccup and handed over the cakes.

Jack smiled gently as he took the takes and got his wallet out.

/break\

"How is school going, children?", asked Nick pleased while eating his cake.

Toothiana smiled as she sat next to him, only drinking her tea and regarding the mass of sugar her mate was eating with mild horror. Mary was happily devouring her strawberry cake, while Jack was curiously poking the blueberries out of his own to eat them one by one.

"It's awesome! Sophie and I got a gold-star on our presentation", chimed Mary.

"Atta, girl", laughed Nick in a jolly-way, patting Mary's head.

"What about you, Jack?", inquired Toothiana gently.

"I signed up for a club. The principal said we all have to", shrugged Jack.

"What club?", inquired Nick interested.

"Art. I figured since I like doodling...", shrugged Jack. "Rapunzel and Hiccup are in it too."

"You're making friends! Good!", nodded Nick more than pleased.

"...Yeah, I guess", mused Jack softly.

/break\

Mister Bunnymund was kind of a weirdo, but he was fun to tease, something Jack had learned from Flynn. Flynn was generally pretty cool, he pulled a lot of pranks around here, often together with the twins Tuffnut and Ruffnut. The trio tried to rope Jack into their pranks too and more of then than not did Jack agree. It was a lot of fun. Jack was also enjoying art class in general, aside from riling Mister Bunnymund up. It was his time to get closer to Rapunzel and Hiccup in particular, which was good. Because when hanging out, Jack mainly bonded with Toothless, Moana and Flynn. The only one he hadn't quite found a connection to was Merida, if he was being honest. But that was okay, he couldn't be best friends with everyone – and for now, he was actually glad that he finally found an angle to get along with Hiccup. Hiccup was quite the artist, mainly drawing dragons.

"I love your paintings", whispered Hiccup as he looked over Jack's shoulder.

Despite himself, Jack flushed a little at the proximity and the praise. "It's just... color."

He mainly painted filigree patterns of vines and flowers, mainly in white and various shades of blue. Ice-flowers. Rapunzel had been absolutely delighted and had squealed the first time she saw them, while Hiccup had just gaped at it. Since then, Hiccup had been kind of watching Jack paint.

"They're more than just color. They're very expressive and no pattern is ever the same with you", argued Rapunzel firmly. "And it's _your_ way of expressing yourself, that alone makes it beautiful."

Hiccup hummed in agreement before he returned to his drawing of a big brown dragon. It was always dragons with Hiccup, though this one in particular, Hiccup drew quite often.

"What's with the dragon? It's your favorite motif", asked Jack softly.

"...It's my mother", whispered Hiccup and paused. "My birth-mother. I never met her. She died shortly after I was born in a fire. We... lost most memorabilia in the fire, but I have one picture of her in her dragon-form. I can't quite get the color right though, I guess..."

Jack's eyes darkened with sadness as he looked at the dragon. "She was beautiful."

"Thank you", murmured Hiccup back.

"So, are you two coming to the lake with us today?", asked Rapunzel lightly, trying to change the mood. "It's frozen over, you know? Flynn and I thought we could ice-skate. Merida and Moana already agreed, though Moana looked rather grumpy..."

"She's a bird of paradise. She's still not used to snow and winter", chuckled Hiccup fondly.

"You can... ice-skate on this island?", asked Jack excitedly.

And just an hour later found a more than happy Jack skating circles around the others, laughing freely. Hiccup stood unsure, clinging onto Moana, both alphas completely out of their element. Flynn and Rapunzel raced each other with smiles, while Merida followed Jack.

"You're good at this", commented Hiccup as Jack came to stand in front of him.

"Mom and dad used to go ice-skating with us all the time", grinned Jack. "Stop clinging onto each other. Merida, come here and help me with the helpless alphas!"

Merida gladly joined him, though unexpectedly, she grabbed Moana's hands to pull the female alpha along with her. Then again, from what Jack had seen the two were very close friends. Still, Jack would have thought she'd pick the alpha who was apparently courting her and thus her boyfriend. Shrugging the thought of, Jack took Hiccup by the hands and pulled him more onto the ice too, carefully guiding him. Jack had grown surprisingly fond of Hiccup over the past three weeks. He smiled amused as Hiccup stumbled after him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am personally offended by you guys thinking "The Fox and the Hound" was an accident. This is a Disney/DreamWorks fanfiction. Of course was the referrence in the chapter title on purpose *chuckles* I mean, come on, the title of the first chapter "The Bear and the Bow" was the originally pitched title for "Brave".
> 
> Either way, so yes, all the chapter titles are referrences to animated movies. And in this particular case also a play on the Big Four nickname that Merida, Rapunzel, Jack and Hiccup have. With Moana and Flynn, that makes it six.
> 
> Next chapter is going to bring more focus on Jack's friendship with Rapunzel and Flynn, among other things~
> 
> Oh, and I'm currently taking HiJack prompts on my tumblr for my [Christmas Calendar Project](https://takaraphoenix.tumblr.com/post/164490306011/advent-calendar-prompts), so if you drop me an ask with a winter/Christmas related word and the pairing (HiJack's not the only one I'm taking; Shklance, Malace, Jimon and Nicercy are also options), you'll get something nice in December ;)


	6. Over the Hedge

_Chapter 6: Over the Hedge_

"What are your plans for today, children?", asked Nick over breakfast on Sunday morning.

Honestly, Jack really enjoyed their family meals together. They did help him feel more at home with Nick and Toothiana. It also helped him feeling more in-tune with Mary and what she was doing here. His little sister smiled in a chipper way as she munched her muesli.

"I dunno. Maybe we'll go to the beach?", mused Mary thoughtfully.

"I... I wanted to visit Rapunzel today", replied Jack reluctantly.

"Ah. You befriended the omega girl from next door?", laughed Nick with sparkling eyes.

Jack gave a half-shrug. "I mean. We're in the same classes and she made me join the art-club. And since she's the one living the closest to us... I thought I could maybe visit her."

"It's good to see you making friends, Jack", smiled Toothiana gently.

"Jack's really popular at school", chimed Mary in, offering a toothy grin to her brother.

"That's not true", huffed Jack with a frown. "I befriended Jamie Bennett. And I'm... making a couple acquaintances. But I'm definitely not popular."

"Ye—eah you are", giggled Mary with sparkling eyes. "Sophie says that you're friends with all of her brother's friends. And the triplets say that you're friends with all of their sister's friends too."

"Merida and I aren't that close", argued Jack with a frown. "I mean, her friends... kind of. I'm still getting close to them, but I dunno about _friends_ yet. It's been... long since I had... friends."

The playful smile left Mary's lips and she averted her eyes in silence. A silence that befell them all.

/break\

It was an hour later that Jack found himself at the most curious of houses. The Saint Norths lived up on the tall, snowy mountain, overseeing both Burgess and Berk. And at the foot of the mountain, still some way off from the two towns, stood a tall tower. It was the closest to a neighbor that they had. Berk looked curious from above, because the houses had landing platforms, considering most of the natives were dragon-shifters. Burgess on the other hand was overseen by a castle from the cliffs toward the ocean. Jack knew the castle was where Merida was living.

Taking a deep breath, Jack knocked on the door and waited. When the door opened, his eyes widened. The man before him was mildly terrifying. His skin was ashen gray and his hair black, greasy and slicked back. His eyes were fallen in and had a cruel tint to them as they regarded Jack. He smelt of beta, which Jack was grateful for because if the scary man would have been an alpha, Jack would have turned tail and ran away. Befittingly, he was dressed all in black.

"Yes?", drawled the man, still regarding Jack with mild disdain.

"I'm... Jackson Overland, sir. I wanted to visit Rapunzel?", offered Jack uncomfortably.

"Ah", nodded the man and stepped aside to let him in.

"Honey, who's at the door?", called a woman out.

She was a little less scary than the man, but still. Frilly black hair, as thin a frame as the man. She was followed by two other females – one of them a very short old lady with gray hair and curious eyes, the other, thankfully, Rapunzel. Rapunzel's eyes brightened as she smiled at him.

"Jack!", exclaimed Rapunzel happily and hugged him. "I'm so happy to see you! Come upstairs!"

Jack's gaze lingered on Rapunzel's odd family for a long moment before he was pulled upstairs. And by 'upstairs', he meant the highest room on the high tower. He was a bit out of breath by the time they reached it and happily collapsed on the other omega's bed.

"No offense, but your family is kind of creepy", grunted Jack with a frown.

She returned his frown and tilted her head. "They took me in when no one else wanted me."

"Mh?", grunted Jack and sat up slowly, regarding her carefully.

"My parents, they died when I was just a baby. And mother adopted me. I was raised by her and my grandma – everyone calls grandma Gothi, you know. Because Gothel is our family name and all", replied Rapunzel with a smile. "She's mute, but that's not a problem for you, you know ASL, right? And my stepfather, he's... Yeah, he's kinda creepy. Kozmotis Pitchiner. He came here with Mister Bunnymund, Mister Sanderson and your aunt and uncle. But him and mother, they... complete each other, I guess. That's all that matters, that he makes her happy, right?"

"I guess so", nodded Jack reluctantly.

"What about you?", asked Rapunzel eagerly, inching closer. "Did you meet anyone yet who... makes you happy? Like, more happy than others?"

"Punzel", sighed Jack and rolled his eyes. "No. I'm... still getting used to the whole... friends thing."

"The whole friends thing?", echoed Rapunzel amused, tilting her head.

Jack averted his eyes and decided to take a long look around the room instead of looking at her. It was beautiful. Kind of messy, but with a lot of personality. The walls were painted with colorful pictures and symbols. It was all very... Rapunzel, in lack of a better word. And Jack liked that.

"I used to have a lot of friends before I presented", offered Jack softly. "I used to be brunette when I was a kid, but the closer I got to presenting, the more the... color bled out of my hair. I was always treated differently for being an omega. Alphas didn't take me seriously and sneered at me. Other omegas, I don't know, they thought I was too weird to hang out with."

"I get that", whispered Rapunzel, making Jack look up at her. "Mom used to home-school me, you know. I... never dared to leave the tower because I was afraid of the outside world, until... until I met Flynn. He broke in because his friends Ron and Jon dared him to. Troublemakers, all three of them. This place, the tower, it was creepy and everyone was kind of afraid of it, you know? And then he was just _there_. And I... followed him. And I loved the outside world. I begged mother to enroll me in school, that's where I met Merida and Hiccup and later on Moana."

"And... before that, you were... all alone?", asked Jack, keeping his voice soft.

"Oh no, not all alone!", laughed Rapunzel delighted and reached her hand out. "This is Pascal!"

Jack jumped slightly in surprise as a tiny green thing crawled onto Rapunzel's hand and was then thrust into Jack's face. Blinking slowly, Jack regarded the scaly little creature.

"...What... is he?", asked Jack slowly. "And is he a shifter?"

"No, Pascal is just a regular chameleon. He crawled into the tower one day when I was a little girl and we've been best friends ever since", replied Rapunzel with a smile, tilting her head. "Do you want to shift and play tag? Pascal is spectacular at tag!"

The next moment, Rapunzel had shifted into a golden-brown squirrel, her long bushy tail reminding Jack of her long golden-blonde hair. Tilting his head, Jack shifted into his fox-skin. He was by far larger than the other two and also faster, but he still found himself enjoying the game. At least until something dark-brown and red jumped through the window and evened the odds. The alpha fox easily caught Jack and nipped his ear playfully, tail wagging a little. Rapunzel squeaked and climbed on top of the fox's head, calming Jack down considerably. Then this must be Flynn.

"He—ey, Jack. Didn't expect to find you here", grinned Flynn playfully as they shifted back.

"I was... trying to make an effort. For this whole friendship thing", shrugged Jack with a half-grin.

"Good for you! You know. If you want to make new friends...", drawled Flynn mischievously.

"Oh no. No, that's an awful idea, Eugene", chided Rapunzel with a serious frown.

"Eugene?", echoed Jack and grinned amused.

"Eugene Fitzherbert Flynn Rider", sighed Flynn solemnly. "It's a burden if your third name is the only bearable one, you know. Blondie here is the only one with permission to use my first."

"Then I shall be calling you Fitzherbert from now on", declared Jack as he started cackling.

"You're a little shit", huffed Flynn offended. "Wanna help me out with a prank?"

"Eugene, no", repeated Rapunzel seriously.

"Eugene, yes", countered Flynn with a grin.

/break\

Flynn had weird friends. Ron and Jon Stabbington were seniors and they were kind of rough. They were also both alphas and tall and broad and intimidating. And they were quite nasty, if they wanted to be. But they were Flynn's oldest friends, apparently. Then there were the _other_ twins. Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston. Jack liked them. They were both betas and stupidly funny.

"Okay. So. The plan is the following", started Tuffnut with a smirk, before faltering a little and turning toward Flynn with a frown. "Uh, what was the plan again?"

"Ron and Jon stole these from Honey Lemon's lab", started Flynn. "It's dye. And it'll dye a dragon's scales for three days, even with intense scrubbing. As most things with Honey, it's pink."

"Okay. And who's the target?", asked Jack, a small grin on his lips.

"Why, the 'royal famil' of course!", declared Flynn mockingly.

Jack opened his mouth to say something, just to pause. Four dragons flew down below them and Jack's mouth hung open. He hadn't seen a dragon-shifter actually _shifted_ before. They were magnificent. One was very large, looking a little like a bug with its horn. He was imposing and led the flight, so Jack guessed that to be Stoick. Left to him was a sleek silver dragon that looked like it was made of metal, at the rear of the flight was a cool looking yellow-reddish-brown scorpion-like dragon. But the most magnificent one was the one on the Alpha's right. He was sleek and black and mighty. Jack was too much in awe as he watched the black dragon. It was missing a hind-leg.

"Wait. Which one is the black one?", asked Jack startled while the others armed themselves.

"Mh? Oh. That's Hiccup", replied Flynn absentmindedly.

Hiccup was missing a leg...? Jack hadn't noticed or known. He frowned, though he still participated in the attack on the royal family. He was a perfect marksman when it came to to throwing balls. He grinned a little as he he hit Hiccup on the head. The dragons started yelping and parting.

"Okay. Time to run", grunted Ron with a serious glare.

"Yeah. Don't wanna get burned", agreed his brother.

The two turned into large, intimidating brownish-red foxes and dashed off. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were cackling like hyenas, apparently not caring if the Alpha and his family found them.

"Look. I'll run now. You should come with me", suggested Flynn with a sly smirk.

"Yeah no. You can go ahead", grinned Jack amused. "I'll see you tomorrow, _Fitzherbert_."

Flynn made an undignified squeaking sound before he also ran away. Jack watched in awe as the dragons ascended over the edge of the cliff – oh, was that why the island was called Dragon's Edge? The mighty Alpha looked grumpy as he landed and his three children sat down with him, in a half-circle. Jack tilted his head as he stared at the three-legged dragon. He was gorgeous. The elegant, sleek body, the black shiny scales – now doted with pink – and yet the same intense emerald-green eyes of one Hiccup Haddock. The dragon tilted his head, mirroring Jack. His mighty leather-wings were spread out behind him and Jack couldn't help but approach carefully, lifting a hand up. Hiccup eagerly pushed forward into Jack's hand and Jack had to laugh a little because his snout was cold.

"Jackson", grunted the heavy voice of Berk's leader.

Jack jumped a little and turned to look sheepishly at Stoick. The sheepish look was replaced by genuine laughter as he saw that Stoick was now spotting a pink beard. That only made the Alpha glower even more. The other three dragons shifted back too – the metal-looking one shifted into Heather and the scorpion shifted into a crazy looking redheaded guy. They went to support Hiccup on either side as their brother shifted back too. And yes. Hiccup was missing a leg.

"I'm sure it was just a... joke, father", assured Hiccup.

"And _I_ 'm sure it wasn't even Jack's idea", added Heather helpfully. "This screams Flynn Rider."

"This screams twins", grunted the redhead.

"Dagur's not wrong", agreed Heather thoughtfully. "Most likely the combined force of tricksters."

Stoick heaved a sigh and shook his head. "I will go and take a shower. You will talk to the boy."

"Dagur, would you go with dad and get Hiccup's leg?", requested Heather gently.

Dagur looked like he wanted to protest, but in the end he nodded and obeyed his sister. Jack let himself fall down onto the ground, sitting crosslegged. Heather helped Hiccup down and joined them. Hiccup had yet to look away from Jack.

"Your dragon-forms look really cool", stated Jack with a small grin.

"Thanks", replied Hiccup, ducking his head modestly.

"We have yet to see your shifted form though", countered Heather teasingly.

"Heather", hissed Hiccup with a glare, elbowing his sister.

But Jack had no problem shifting. He had always been proud of his shift-form, maybe now even a little more because it was his last reminder of his father. Closing his eyes, he shifted.

"...Wow...", whispered Hiccup, voice hoarse and dry. "Y—You look... beautiful."

In front of him sat a white fox. Arctic fox. He was pure white and _so fluffy_. But his eyes were still the same piercing ice-blue crystals. Just as Jack had done before with Hiccup, it was now Hiccup's turn to reach a hand out for the fox. Jack sniffed his hand curiously and the next moment, the white fox jumped onto Hiccup's thigh, sniffing his leg. The one with the stump.

"Ah", chuckled Hiccup a little awkwardly. "I... Yeah, that happened when I first met Toothless. We were adventurous and careless and... Yeah. The rest is history."

Jack made a compassionate whining sound and Hiccup's face softened as he started to caress the surprisingly soft fur. "It's okay, Jack. It's been years. I got used to it. And rather a leg than my life."

The fox cuddled up more to Hiccup, in a comforting way, and it warmed Hiccup's heart. Oh, he was falling fast for the sweet, cheeky omega. And his fur was the softest thing Hiccup ever touched.

/break\

" _I will start throwing fishes at him if he doesn't shut up_ ", signed Toothless aggravated.

"Yeah", grunted Fishlegs with a nod and a small smile.

The two of them were sitting in Hiccup's bedroom and they were supposed to play video-games, but instead Hiccup kept pausing the game to gush about Jack Overland. It had reached borderline pathetic levels now that Hiccup was actually friends with Jack.

"Honestly, I've never been more relieved that I'm not part of your little group there", stated Fishlegs solemnly. "I'd rather hang out with Honeybunny and your older brother."

"...Every time you call Honey Lemon 'Honeybunny', I have the urge to puke", stated Hiccup seriously, giving his friend a pointed, flat look. "It's only worse when Heather does it."

Hiccup didn't really have a problem with the fact that his younger sister, his best friend and his older brother's best friend were in a poly-relationship. He did however have a problem with the double-dose of gushing about Honey Lemon. Heather _really_ loved her two geeks and she got that soft, doe-eyed expression when either of them started geek-rambling. While the majority of Berk was just baffled that a bumbling, awkward, nerdy beta like Fishlegs had landed a beautiful, strong, fierce omega like Heather and a sweet, hyper-intelligent, beautiful alpha like Honey Lemon.

"Yeah, no. You don't get to complain. If I have to listen to you calling Jack 'Snowflake', with your voice dripping honey and adoration, then you will most definitely continue to listen to me gushing about my amazing girlfriends", stated Fishlegs with a pointed counter-expression.

" _I'll be over here, starting a club for singles_ ", sighed Toothless unimpressed.

"Snowflake, huh?"

The three boys – well, Fishlegs and Hiccup first and only at their jerky movements also Toothless – whirled around to face a very amused Heather. She was leaning against the door-frame with a smile.

"I—I can explain-", stuttered Hiccup, cheeks dark red.

"Brother, I love you, but you're horrible at hiding your feelings", chuckled Heather and entered the room and closed the door. "But if you want for our parents to continue believing in your little white-lie of having intentions to court Merida, you should maybe start closing your door. And if you don't want _Jack_ to know just yet, you should maybe also consider closing your door while he's here."

"H—He's _here_?", asked Hiccup and was ready to jump up.

"Not for you", huffed Heather, eyes sparkling. "He's in Hiro's room, together with Jamie."

"Yeah, really, if you want your parents to still believe you're interested in Merida, you gotta learn to control your emotions", chuckled Fishlegs amused when Hiccup visibly deflated.

Heather grinned mischievously as she leaned in and kissed his cheek. "He's hopeless, I'm afraid."

/break\

Jack was spotting a mischievous grin as he laid sprawled out on Hiro's bed, head hanging over the edge upside-down to look at Hiro and Jamie. He was behind on a lot of his classes because the schedule on Dragon's Edge differed from where he was from. So he had decided to ask his underclassmen for a little help. More specifically, the combination of Hiro and Jamie. Because Jack wasn't blind. He had seen the way Hiro had been clearly territorial about Jamie when Jack had started to befriend him – and he had also seen the way Jamie had forgotten everything around him when Hiro had joined them on their pack-run. Those two were definitely interested in each other but too shy to act on it. So why shouldn't Jack help? Jamie was his new best friend and he was very attached to Hiro already. The boy was clever and excitable and also lonely and broken in his own way. The way he had talked about missing the parents he never got to know, then also being a male omega and on top of that, a genius among his peers... it did single him out. But Jack was glad Hiro had a loving family – in Stoick and Cass and Tadashi and Hiccup and Dagur and Heather.

"This is _amazing_ , Hiro", whispered Jamie in awe.

Hiro was blushing a little as Jamie had his chin resting on Hiro's shoulder. The little genius was doodling away on the paper in front of him, had been doing so since Jamie had started summing up the latest chapter on their history book. Jack had just listened with half an ear, while Hiro was doodling robots and superheroes. It was an obsession of Hiro's and it was pretty cool.

"That's the coolest Iron Man I've ever seen", grinned Jack as he watched. "You like him?"

"Of course! Tony Stark is a _genius_. He's an inventor. He literally has a robot-suit. And he's a male omega. He's my total role-model", replied Hiro with a lopsided grin.

Jamie smiled sweetly as he watched Hiro, even though Hiro's focus was on Jack as he answered the white-haired boy. But Jack saw the sweet smile. Damn did Jamie adore Hiro. Jack grinned amused.

"Do you have the movie? I mean, the first one. We should totally watch it", declared Jack.

"Oh, I know what you're trying to do", grunted Jamie with a deadpan, making Jack freeze. "You're trying to get out of your tutoring session. But I will not let you off the hook that easily."

Jack laughed good-natured at that and for another half hour, he indulged Jamie. Jamie, who had no idea what Jack had really been trying to do. Not even when, half an hour later, Jack and Hiro were tucked under Jamie's arms, with their legs intertwined in the alpha's lap, all contently cuddled up to each other on the couch and watching the first _Iron Man_ movie. The look on Hiro's flustered face was pure and utter happiness in a way that Jack was yearning for too.

"Iron Man? You're watching Iron Man without telling me? Scoot over, little brother!"

The next moment, they were all crammed together and suddenly Jacke was back-to-chest with Hiccup, with Toothless and Fishlegs also squeezing in on the couch, pushing them closer together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said it before, but lemme say it again: This is a slow burn. This won't just feature HiJack's relationship, it's mainly Jack centered and I do plan on exploring his potential friendships in this universe and also the friendship-dynamics of the others. I do have plans on focusing some on Tadashi and his friends, more on Jamie and his friends and how Jack fits in there, all those things. But one thing at a time, I'm not gonna push 20 characters into one chapter and make them all interact with each other.
> 
> Next chapter will for now explore the dynamics of the Big Four, or rather the Big Six here considering Flynn and Moana are also on board (hah, literally, because we're going out to sea ;D), meaning Jack will investigate the Hiccup-Merida situation


	7. Legend of the Seven Seas

_Chapter 7: Legend of the Seven Seas_

Jack was excited about this weekend. Moana, Merida, Hiccup, Rapunzel and Flynn were going on a little cruise-adventure – they sometimes did that, driving out with Moana's ship to a neighboring lonely island and exploring – and they had invited him to go along. At first, he had not been the biggest fan of that idea, because he still wasn't so sure about where he stood with them, but Jamie had been nudging him into the direction, telling him that he should go.

"Why are you so nervous about this, Jack?", asked Jamie amused, tilting his head.

They were at Jamie's place, watching movies with Jamie's other friends. Pippa and Monty were throwing popcorn at each other while Caleb and Claude shoved each other. Cupcake was simply not impressed by them all and she was hogging the chocolate-bars. Jamie and Jack sat on a sofa together, the alpha whispering in a soft voice. Jack bit his lips.

"It's...", started Jack unsure, frowning.

"You've been trying so hard to keep your distance from everyone when you first moved here, even when we were trying to befriend you and you _still_ push us away", murmured Jamie, a frown slowly finding its way onto his face as he looked at Jack. "Why? You're great to hang out with."

Jack bit his lip even harder, staring at his knees. "I used to be really popular before I presented. I had a lot of friends, everyone was as nice to me as you guys were when I first came. But then I presented and... it was like I turned _invisible_. It's easy being alone if it's _your_ choice, but being abandoned, having others turn their backs on you? It's... terrifying, Jamie. I... I _want_ friends, real friends, but I can't help but be afraid to be abandoned again... That all this friendliness is only due to me being the new kid and the new attraction of the island and everyone is curious, but once they get to know me, I get uninteresting again and... and you guys will turn your backs on me too and I'll be invisible and alone again and I don't know if I _can_. Do you know how hard that kind of isolation is for... for an omega? Without pack-mates? I don't... I can't do that again, Jamie."

"You won't have to, Jack", assured Jamie with a worried frown, wrapping an arm around Jack's waist and pulling him close into a hug. "I don't know _why_ your old pack would do something like that, but... we're not like that. We'll... We'll not just turn our backs on you."

Jack took a slightly shaky breath as he melted into Jamie's hug. He was still so touch-starved because be rarely allowed himself physical contact with his new pack and friends; not in the way he _should_ , as an omega. Pack-cuddles and physical comfort were important things for an omega. It was all the more reason why it had hurt so much back when he had turned invisible to those he used to seek out. He really didn't think he could handle this kind of rejection again.

He didn't _want_ to get attached to those people, those potential new friends. Because if he got attached, then the abandonment would only hurt more. But it wasn't in his nature to be alone – not just because he was an omega, but also because that was who he was, he had always been the kind of person who had people flocking around him and who sought out to be with others. And so he did, here. By following Jamie, by spending time with Hiro, by hanging out with Rapunzel and Flynn and all the others. He reached out for all of those people because he had _hope_. He still had hope and longing for friendship and he just couldn't give up on the possibility of having friends, even though deep down he should know that the risk of rejection was too big. Still, it was a risk he was taking once again. He just prayed that Jamie's words would prove to be true.

"You boys done with the emotional striptease? Wanna help decide on the next movie?", asked Pippa with a slightly amused smile. "Monty wants to watch _The Hobbit_."

"No. Nerd. No", groaned Caleb frustrated. "I don't have that kind of time and even if I had, I wouldn't invest it in those movies. Can't we watch the latest _Star Wars_ movie?"

"I've never seen a _Star Wars_ movie in my life and I have no intentions of changing that", stated Cupcake firmly, glaring at the boys. "We're watching _The Last Unicorn_."

"Oh, no. Woman", warned Claude with a glare. "We are _not_ watching your animated unicorn movie _again_ , Cupcake. No. Anything but that. Pippa, input."

"I'm keeping out of this one", chimed Pippa innocently, getting elbowed by the twins. "But why don't we let Jack decide, since he's new to our movie-nights, mh guys?"

Everyone turned to look at Jack with curious eyes and he wasn't really sure how to handle that. It was weird for him to be the center of attention and when everyone expected _him_ to make a decision. He turned slightly and searched Jamie's eyes, hoping for the alpha to make a decision.

"No, I like the idea of you making the decision, Jack", grinned Jamie. "What do _you_ want?"

"Can we watch _Ocean's 11_?", asked Jack just a little helplessly.

No one protested. After all, they had agreed to let him decide. While Pippa went to put the DVD in, Jamie pulled Jack a little closer, nosing his scent-glands. Jack shuddered. It's been a while since he last had an alpha scent him, even just in a _friendly_ pack-way. He ducked his head.

"One day, you gotta tell me _why_ they abandoned you", whispered Jamie lowly. "Because there's gotta be more to this story than just you being an omega. I can't believe that."

"Oh! Do you... uh, would you want to have a puppy-pile, Jack?", asked Monty suddenly.

"Uhm, what?", asked Jack surprised, looking at the short blonde.

Monty smiled and pushed his glasses up, his nose wiggling. "I might be a beta and a bunny – so it's not really a _puppy_ -pile – but I know that omegas draw strength from physical contact to pack."

"That's a great idea", agreed Pippa, who herself was a wolf-shifter after all.

They grabbed the blankets and pillows and spread them out on the ground between the couches. Jack found himself placed in the middle of the pile, with the twins on one side of him, Cupcake and Monty on the other side, Pippa and Jamie behind him and being used as pillows. Jack felt the tension melt off him as he got to enjoy the physical reassurance of the pack. His pack?

/break\

It was the next morning, before sunrise, that Jack got out of bed. Somehow, he felt more energetic than yesterday, more motivated thanks to Jamie's encouragement. The pack-cuddles had also helped him a lot. It boosted his confidence and made him feel physically and mentally stronger, which was really not that surprising because omegas thrived from that kind of contact.

"Morning, Jack", chimed Mary happily as Jack entered the kitchen. "Here."

Jack laughed softly as he took the paper-bag and opened it to see that yes, Mary's famous PB & J sandwiches. "You're the best little sister on the planet. Thanks."

"No problem", grinned Mary, grabbing a paper-bag for himself. "Besides, I had to make lunch for myself too because we're going into the forest today to explore."

"I'll see you tomorrow when we get back. Be safe, okay?", smiled Jack, kissing the top of her head.

"Always. You too, big brother", replied Mary with a smile of her own. "Have fu—un!"

/break\

Hiccup felt like hurling. Toothless laughed and patted him on the shoulder. The two of them were standing at the docks, Hiccup holding his backpack as though his life depended on it.

" _You'll be fine, Hics_ ", signed Toothless reassuringly. " _If I wouldn't have to work on Saturdays, I'd totally be with you to hold your hand through this horrible ordeal_."

Hiccup groaned and glared at his best friend. He was just really bad at handling Jack and the fact that Jack would be there with them this time was making him so incredibly nervous. He had just never really felt that way about an omega, so far all omegas he knew, they were just part of the pack. Jack was different, Jack felt like so much more. Hiccup couldn't really explain it and maybe that was part of the problem. He didn't really understand it, so he didn't know how to handle it.

"If you're done dillydallying you could help us", called Moana out loudly.

"Aye, aye, captain!", called Hiccup out, grinning.

He relaxed a little as he slipped into something familiar. Toothless smiled at him before he returned to town for work. Hiccup all the while started helping Moana and Rapunzel get the ship ready while they waited for the others. This was something that he was familiar with.

"Oh, I'm so excited that Jack said yes!", exclaimed Rapunzel as she swung over the deck.

"Stop using your hair as a rope to swing around my ship, squirrel-girl!", called Moana out.

"Ne—ever gonna happen, Mo", chuckled Hiccup with a grin.

Flynn was the next one to arrive, closely followed by Merida. Slowly, Hiccup grew a little anxious as they waited for Jack. But then the white mop of hair emerged in the distance and Hiccup smiled.

"Hey, guys", greeted Jack as he went aboard the _Heart of Te Fiti_.

"Jack", greeted Moana with a grin. "Go and let the others show you around. I'll get us started."

Jack nodded and went for Rapunzel, who gladly and enthusiastically showed him around the small ship. There wasn't much to it. Below deck, everything was filled out with blankets and pillows for comfort and it might just fit six people but it'd be a very tight fit.

"Not a lot to look at", grinned Jack amused as he dumped his backpack below deck.

"She owns her own boat, so she really can't complain about the size", chuckled Merida.

She was sitting in a corner above deck, leaning against Hiccup. Jack frowned thoughtfully as he took that picture in. The two of them were _supposedly_ a thing. But Jack saw more tenderness between Jamie and Hiro than he saw between Hiccup and Merida. Maybe this weekend would be a great way to do a little detective work on that end.

"Okay, so, what do we _do_?", asked Jack curiously as he sat down next to Flynn.

"Mh?", grunted Merida confused, looking up from the arrow she was sharpening.

"We're going to just spend today and half of tomorrow on the island. Exploring, cooking our own food, enjoying the beach, in the cases of me and Punzel, we're also drawing", replied Hiccup. "We're exploring the islands for the local dragons, you see. There aren't many... regular dragons left and we on Dragon's Edge have the largest dragon-research institute. So we regularly scout the wildlife on the surrounding islands to keep track on how they do."

"Research. Huh", nodded Jack thoughtfully.

Sitting together and talking was fun for about an hour, but then traveling on the boat became slightly boring. Jack sat with his legs drawn up, arms around them. Rapunzel and Flynn were busy whispering to each other and trading gentle kisses. They were _really_ cute together. Hiccup and Merida were mostly quiet, Hiccup had started reading a book and Merida was still sharpening her arrows, both leaning against each other's sides. Jack frowned to himself and turned to instead watch Moana. She was a fierce force to be reckoned with. The way she stood there, strong and tall, her eyes sharp and set on the horizon as she navigated them through the ocean. She really was an impressive alpha. Gorgeous too. It surprised Jack a little that she didn't have a boyfriend or girlfriend of any kind. Though then again, female alphas did have it hard in this society.

"Hey", grinned Jack as he came up behind Moana and stood next to her.

"Yeah?", grunted Moana curiously, turning to look at him.

"Dunno. Just thought you'd be a bit bored up here on your own", shrugged Jack.

"That's sweet of you", grinned Moana fondly. "So, you liking it on Dragon's Edge?"

"Mh. I guess", sighed Jack thoughtfully. "It's a very... overwhelming place, really."

"But it got something for everyone", offered Moana. "The snow, the beach, the high mountains, the deep forests. I really came to love this island when I moved here, you know."

"Really?", asked Jack curiously. "I mean, you're from a tropic island, right?"

"Yep", nodded Moana. "And it was hard, at first. The harsh winds and cold, white winters. But the summer are hot and the beach is amazing. I couldn't do without it. I _need_ the ocean."

"Need?", laughed Jack amused, relaxing a little.

"Mh, it was non-negotiable for the Waialikis to move to an island or harbor town", confirmed Hiccup casually as their other friends looked up at them, watching Moana and Jack.

"But your shift-form is a bird of paradise. You'd be fine in the rain forest too?", asked Jack.

"Not entirely", chuckled Moana and turned to look at him.

She raised her hand and the ocean around them rose with it. Jack watched with wide eyes as the waves before them parted and rose three meter high, his heart nearly stopping in surprise. Jack backed off from it as it seemed to come closer, like it had a life of its own.

"Y—You...", whispered Jack, voice breaking off.

"I dunno if you heard of it before, where you come from, but it's called an elemental. Some alphas and omegas have certain magical abilities", explained Moana gently. "I control water, more specifically the ocean. Fresh water too, but I do better with salt-water."

"B—But...", stammered Jack, staring at Moana wide-eyed.

"It's old magic", explained Flynn casually. "There's a whole lot of legends around where it comes from, but it's so old no one knows for sure. Not even our eggheads."

Hiccup glared at Flynn for that before turning toward Jack with a gentle expression. "The theory is that, back in the beginning, all shifters had elemental magic. It was in their blood. That's why most of us dragons can spit fire, actually. Because most of us still have our link to our magic. Why else would giant lizards spit fire, after all? The _real_ dragons, they don't have fire. It's never been seen in nature before, meaning fire is a shifter-exclusive kind of magic."

"So... So there are... are others with such... powers?", asked Jack, voice wavering a little.

"Oh! I! Me!", exclaimed Rapunzel with a bright smile.

"...Seriously?", asked Jack, eyebrows knitting at that.

"Light magic, with healing properties. Though... I'm not very good at controlling it", admitted Rapunzel and ducked her head. "Mother taught me to control it with a song. When I focus on that, I can actually channel it. But on its own, I kind of... can't."

"Mister Sanderson, he has control over Earth, though...", started Merida before she frowned. "I mean, I've never seen him move more than sand, but the things he does with sand-"

"Beautiful and artistic!", exclaimed Rapunzel. "You should see him! He once formed a giant long-necked dinosaur and made it walk along the beach. It was so cool. You'd love it."

"I have the theory that Hiro has powers too", added Hiccup gently, gaining the surprised attention of everyone. "I'm unsure though, but the way he handles technology is... more than just impressive. I think he might have control over it, in a way."

"It's rare, but not _that_ rare", summed Flynn up with a grin.

"It's okay", smiled Rapunzel, patting Jack's shoulder. "It's rare, depending on where you're from. If your hometown didn't really have anyone with powers, you might have never even heard of it."

Jack nodded slowly and settled back down again, watching Moana and Rapunzel in particular.

/break\

A displeased look laid on Moana's face as she watched Hiccup and Merida, cuddled up at the fire-place just like Rapunzel and Flynn. It was stupid. From the day she had moved here, she had known Hiccup and Merida were just meant to be. She should have never fallen for Merida to begin with, but Merida was the fiercest, strongest, most adventurous omega Moana had ever met and maybe the only person Moana had ever met who sought freedom just as much as she did. Merida was perfect to Moana, but it was clear that fate had different plans for Merida and they didn't include Moana. Not in the way Moana _wanted_ to be included. If only there would be a simple way to settle for friendship and to just stop being in love with someone, but that switch didn't exist.

Her eyes wandered, just to find Jack. The male omega sat folded in on himself a bit farther away from them. He had been subdued all day, while Flynn and Rapunzel ran through the woods, Moana took a swim, Merida went to hunt their dinner and Hiccup, as always, went to study dragons. He had joined Flynn and Rapunzel on their run for a while, but he was distracted. Later on, he had joined Rapunzel and Hiccup as they drew the dragons of the island, but again he hadn't been really focused. Something was clearly on the omega's mind, but he didn't seem ready to share it.

"Hey", whispered Moana gently as she got up and walked over to Jack. "You not cold?"

Jack blinked slowly and looked first up at her and then down at his bare feet. "Oh. Heh. No, not really. I like being barefoot and I'm pretty... used to the cold."

He was fidgeting with the sleeves of his dark-blue hoodie. Moana tilted her head and sat down close next to him so their shoulders were brushing. Both faced their four friends, the light of the bonfire setting a soft and gentle mood, the stars and moon above them. It was nice, nearly romantic.

"It sucks to be among couples", whispered Moana lowly, nudging Jack a little.

"Mh. I don't _mind_ most couples, though Flynn and Rapunzel are basically disgustingly cute", laughed Jack with a grin. "Merida and Hiccup aren't very heavy on the PDA though..."

"Yeah, that's just not them", shrugged Moana thoughtfully, wrapping an arm around Jack.

Jack leaned into the female alpha after all, enjoying the warmth and comfort of his pack-mate. The two slowly relaxed against each other, unaware of the burning glares Merida and Hiccup sent them. Merida gritted her teeth as she dug her chin into Hiccup's shoulder while watching the male omega cozy up to Moana like that. Why had stupid Flynn had to joke about Moana and Jack completing the set when Jack had first decided to hang out with them? Ever since, Merida couldn't really shake off this feeling of threat. The natural instinct of seeing Jack as someone intruding on _her_ territory.

/break\

The six of them all squeezed into Moana's boat after their little bonfire and dinner. It was a very tight fit, but Rapunzel was more than happy to curl together on Flynn's chest, Moana sleeping with her face buried in Rapunzel's hair and Flynn's arm half over her head. Merida had her head resting on Moana's stomach, having gravitated closer to the alpha in her sleep. Her feet were stretched out on Hiccup's stomach, which was a bit bothersome but Hiccup tried to ignore it (as long as she didn't actually kick him). The thing that kept Hiccup awake was the ice-cold omega snuggled up to his side. Jack's nose was pressed against Hiccup's neck, his legs thrown over Hiccup's as the white-haired boy was cuddled up to him as close as physically possible.

This wasn't a rare thing for them _normally_. Sleeping in the boat always resulted in pack-cuddles. But the Jack was new. And Jack that close to him was very confusing for the poor alpha. Especially after he had watched Moana and Jack cuddle at the bonfire earlier. Which was okay, because they were pack and they were both unmated and Hiccup had absolutely no right to be jealous.

He hated that he was jealous. First with Jamie, now with Moana. This was ridiculous. Never had an omega smelt better or looked better of _felt_ better than Jack did. He just felt right, the way he was laying next to Hiccup like this. Talking to Jack – now that Hiccup had finally managed the art of talking to Jack – was really nice. He liked the omega, he liked spending time with the omega in a way he never had before. This was it, this was the thing he had never understood. The thing that his parents had wanted for him to feel about Merida. He hadn't understood it back then, he just thought it was something that might either happen on its own if he gave himself and Merida time, or it would never happen and was just some fairy tale thing adults made up. But now, with Jack, he actually felt the way others described it. And he didn't know how to handle that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be Christmas-themed! And it will feature a lot of HiJack interactions! Also Tadashi gets to play wise big brother ;D


	8. Nightmare Before Christmas

_Chapter 8: Nightmare Before Christmas_

Hiccup frowned as he knocked on his big brother's door. When no answer came but instead just more sounds of metal hitting the floor and tools being thrown around or worked with, Hiccup just entered. Tadashi was crouched in front of his most precious project; Baymax.

"Dashi?", asked Hiccup softly, closing the door behind himself.

"Hics!", exclaimed Tadashi startled, looking up at his younger step-brother. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's... wrong, per se", started Hiccup unsure and went to sit down on Tadashi's bed.

"Mh... try again", prompted Tadashi amused, returning his attention to Baymax.

Baymax was _amazing_. Well, the concept was amazing anyway. There were still a lot of kinks to be worked out before the robot would actually be usable. But once that was achieved, it'd be ground-breaking. For a long moment, Hiccup just watched his brother work.

"Say, hypothetically speaking, you would have lied to our parents... What would you do?", asked Hiccup slowly, fidgeting with the tools next to him on the bed.

"Invent a time-machine, travel back to before I lied and slap my former self in the face for thinking it a good idea to lie to Stoick and Cass", replied Tadashi simply. "What did you lie about?"

"Nothing", blurted Hiccup out hastily, face screwed up.

Tadashi huffed in disbelief and turned slightly to look at Hiccup. "And... it has nothing to do with Merida, by any chance, does it?"

"W—Why would you say that?", asked Hiccup, gulping hard.

"You're seventeen, Hics. And Merida is sixteen. And you two have been 'together' for long enough that you should be all over each other at this point", replied Tadashi casually as he returned his attention to Baymax. "At first, I thought it was because you two were still so young. Then, I thought that PDA is simply not something you like, which I would understand too. Me and GoGo don't like making out in public either and she's not a girl for holding hands. But it's been _four_ years now and you're seventeen and sixteen now and you barely ever go on dates, you never sneak out to see your girlfriend and she never sneaks out of our house at odd hours. I've never seen you kiss even once."

"...What do mom and dad think?", asked Hiccup miserably, face buried in his hands.

"That you're a proper future Alpha who respects that you and your omega should keep it on the down-low until you're officially mated. No worries", chuckled Tadashi. "But why do you ask _now_? Do you... want to tell them the truth, Hiccup?"

"I honestly don't know", sighed Hiccup. "I just... I know that I can't become Merida's alpha and that she doesn't want that either. So, at one point, we got to come clear... I just don't know how."

"You'll figure something out, little brother", assured Tadashi with a grin.

"Very helpful, big brother", drawled Hiccup out dryly.

/break\

"Winter in this town is miserable", growled Moana frustrated, wearing three coats.

Jack offered her a crooked grin and tilted his head at her. The two of them were walking through town together, doing some Christmas shopping. They had grown really close since their first boat-trip three weeks ago. Jack had generally adjusted really well into their pack.

"You're so not a winter person", stated Jack amused.

"But you definitely are", pointed Moana out, staring at the boy.

Jack was barefoot, only wearing rather thin leather-pants and his hoodie. No scarf or jacket, even though it was the beginning of December. Moana shuddered just imagining wearing those clothes.

"Do you have plans for the holidays?", asked Jack curiously.

"Mh. My parents and I will be visiting my cousin Maui", nodded Moana with a smile. "Him and the rest of our old flock. It'll be nice. We're leaving on the last day of school. What about you?"

"Christmas is... apparently a huge deal in this house. Uncle Nick has been putting up decorations for an entire month now and he's constantly baking", chuckled Jack and shook his head.

"Ye—eah. Nick is like _the_ big guy when it comes to Christmas around here", laughed Moana. "He always plays Santa for the little kids too. It's really cute."

Jack hummed softly, his eyes on the windows. When he paused to look at a window where every single thing inside was a beautifully crafted glass-figurine, Moana stopped to walk backward to him. She tilted her head as she came to stand right behind him and look at what he was looking at.

"You like them?", asked Moana a bit amused.

"Mhmh", nodded Jack. "I really like glass figurines, I guess. They look like ice-sculptures, just... without the melting, you know? Timeless. And so delicate. Anyway, come on. You wanted to go to that sports-shop to get something for Merida, right?"

"Ye—es. I'm getting her a bow, but not just any bow. I asked Mister Bunnymund to help me with some Celtic knot designs so I can carve them into the bow myself", replied Moana with a smile. "It's going to be unique and beautiful and she'll love it."

"You're totally gone on her", teased Jack and nudged Moana.

Moana blushed and ducked her head. Now that the two of them were friends and spent to much time looking at the other two couples from the outside, it had become hard to hide her feelings for Merida, so a week ago, Moana had kind of admitted to her hopeless crush.

"It doesn't matter. It's enough that I'm her friend", replied Moana softly. "So, for whom do you still need to buy Christmas presents, Jack? And do you have any ideas?"

"I already got something for Mary, Nick and Toothiana. I... don't really have that much money, so I was thinking about maybe baking Christmas cookies for you guys, but-", started Jack.

"Cookies are awesome", interrupted Moana with a smile, resting a hand on his upper-arm. "You made a lot of friends since moving here and you're not obligated to get a gift for everyone."

Jack nodded, a little relieved. He stifled a yawn, rubbing his eyes. Moana watched him in concern. He had big bags beneath his eyes and he looked like he hadn't slept in days. But she also knew that prodding him about those things only made him shut off. So instead, she looped an arm around his shoulders and steered him toward the shop, telling him more about her cousin Maui.

/break\

Hiro grinned, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He was working on a tiny robot as a Christmas present for Jamie, but since there were so many stupid big siblings around at home who teased him and since delicate things were _not_ very safe with Gobber, Jack had offered him to work at Nick's workshop – after asking Nick's permission first, of course. And Nick St. North's workshop was like the holy land, really. When Hiccup heard that, he asked to come along. Since Hiccup was the only good sibling among the bunch, he was allowed. So, not only did Hiro get to spend time with Jack _and Hiccup_ , but he also got to work with Nick in his way too amazing workshop. Nick laughed good-natured as he opened the door to see the excited omega. He patted both of them on their shoulders and sent them upstairs to wake Jack, because he currently was in the middle of a project.

Only that waking Jack totally ruined the mood as Hiro opened the bedroom door and found the white-haired omega thrashing around in the bed. He froze up, overwhelmed with the situation. Jack was crying and rolling around, but not a single sound left the omega's mouth. While Hiro stood frozen in his spot, Hiccup bolted off toward the bed, gently shaking Jack.

"Jack! Jack, hey, Jack, you're okay, it's okay", called Hiccup out.

Jack whimpered softly, kicking Hiccup in the stomach in the process. Hiccup winced and shook Jack a little harder. Suddenly, Jack jerked out of his nightmare, a broken sound escaping him. His eyes were brimming with tears as they looked around unfocused.

"M—Mom...", whispered Jack, barely audible.

"Jack? Jack, it's alright. You're alright", whispered Hiccup softly. "Jack?"

Hiccup gently held onto Jack, waiting for the distressed omega to catch up with reality. But before that happened, Jack already threw himself at Hiccup and clung onto the alpha that smelt like safety and felt like warmth. He buried his face in the crook of Hiccup's neck and sobbed silently. Hiccup gently pulled him closer and caressed his back, whispering soothing words. He had never seen Jack like this before, but it would explain some things. Over the past two weeks or so, Jack had looked so worn-out and exhausted, being very distracted during class too.

"J—Jack?", asked Hiro softly, clearly worried as he slowly approached.

"I—I'm fine", whispered Jack hoarsely, still clinging onto Hiccup.

"Didn't look like it", pointed Hiccup out gently.

Hiro sat down behind Jack, carefully snuggling up to the other omega from behind to comfort him. Jack slowly relaxed between them, the sobbing subsiding. Hiro was very comforting with his sweet scent and calm omega-presence, but Hiccup was the one to make him feel safe and collected.

"Did you have a nightmare about... about your parents?", asked Hiccup tentatively. "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it, Jack. I just want you to know that you can talk to us."

"...We were on the way to... Christmas dinner", whispered Jack lowly, voice cracking. "And the road was slippery because of the ice. Mom... crashed the car into the frozen lake... Me and Mary, we were on the backseat. I—I... we managed to escape the car, but... but..."

"Christmas?", echoed Hiccup surprised.

Jack nodded, pressing his face even harder against Hiccup's neck. "T—They... It took them a while to even realize Uncle Nick was around and then to track him down. Mary and I spent months in foster-care before we came here. And now..."

"It's the anniversary of their death", sighed Hiccup, pressing his nose into soft white hair. "I'm so sorry, Jack. Is that why you've been looking so exhausted lately?"

"I've been having those... flashbacks a—and nightmares ever since everyone in town started talking about Christmas and the whole town started to be covered in... decorations", sighed Jack lowly.

"What about your sister?", asked Hiccup concerned.

"She hit her head when the accident happened, lost consciousness. S—She... She doesn't remember a thing. And I... can't seem to forget it", replied Jack, clinging onto Hiccup.

As the three of them talked and cuddled up, Nick watched them from the door with soft eyes. He knew the boy was suffering, but Jack refused to open up to Nick and Toothiana about it. Perhaps he was feeling ungrateful if he'd admit such things, or he was just not comfortable, but Nick knew Jack needed someone to talk to. He was glad that Hiccup was such a gentle and understanding alpha. Smiling pleased to himself, Nick left the three cubs to their own devices and returned to his work.

/break\

Hiccup frowned distractedly as he walked the streets of Berk with his friends. Heather and Fishlegs were in front of him, Astrid and Eret were behind him and Toothless was by his side. Heather and Fishlegs had begged him to come along because they still needed a last minute Christmas gift for Honey (she had accidentally and without knowing blown up her last gift in the process of her latest invention...). The distracted frown rooted from the fact that he was among those happy couples.

"What did you buy _Merida_?", asked Astrid curiously from behind.

She had that special kind of way to say Merida's name when talking to Hiccup. Aside from Fishlegs and Toothless, she was the only one to actually know that the thing between him and Merida wasn't real (because he had needed some help on how to make a fake romance even _work_. Fishlegs had, back then, been really very useless in that department and Toothless spent all his time cackling at him). Hiccup glowered as he decidedly stared at the displays they were passing.

"Made her a mechanical bear", replied Hiccup with a sigh.

"That is so cool", sighed Eret. "Honestly, _this one_ is so hard to shop for."

"Really? _Really_? She's hard to shop for? Astrid?", asked Heather ridiculously. "You buy her a knife or an ax or literally anything other potentially deadly and she's happy."

"Heather is right. Astrid is easy to please", agreed Hiccup with a smirk.

Silence as everyone turned to look at Eret and Astrid, the blonde smirking. "I'm not arguing them."

"You guys think you can excuse me? For like... ten to fifteen minutes?", asked Eret.

The others snorted while Astrid leaned up to peck his cheek. She walked up to walk on Hiccup's other side, one eyebrow raised as she looked him up and down. He tried to dodge her.

" _What are you going to buy Jack?_ ", signed Astrid so Heather and Fishlegs in front of them couldn't overhear their conversation. " _I know you're hung up on the guy. No denying it, Hiccup._ "

" _I... Can I?_ ", asked Hiccup unsure, hesitant in his hand-movement. " _Can I really get him anything? Won't that be... awkward? And we're just starting to get really close._ "

Which was true. After he had comforted Jack last weekend when Hiro had been working on his Christmas present for Jamie, Jack had started seeking him out more. Which was odd for Hiccup, but it was definitely the good kind of odd. Before that, Jamie had been the one alpha Jack would seek out for comfort. Well, Jamie still was the primary alpha Jack sought out, but the other day, when Jack had entered the room and not found Jamie but rather just Hiccup, he had accepted that and then joined Hiccup on the couch and leaned into the alpha for comfort. Last week, Jack would have just left the living room and ventured deeper into the house to find Jamie in Hiro's room. So that? Hiccup totally booked that as a success. He was startled out of his thoughts by Toothless elbowing him very hard and waving toward the window they had just passed. Astrid too raised a curious eyebrow as they backtracked toward the little shop. Hiccup knew it, Cass loved this store because it sold those gorgeous delicate little glass-figurines and crystals.

" _Wanna share something with us, Toothless?_ ", asked Hiccup with a pointed look.

" _Moana was Christmas shopping with Jack and she told us that Jack spent a lot of time looking at the stuff in this store. So if you're looking for something for Jack, maybe you'll find it here_ ", offered Toothless with a large toothy grin. " _Just a suggestion. If you want him to like you._ "

Hiccup paused and stared very intensely at the display.

/break\

Jack heaved a deep sigh as he stared up at the ceiling, bathed in cold sweat as he shot awake from yet another nightmare. He couldn't believe how fresh it still felt whenever he woke from a nightmare, like it had just happened. Sometimes, he still couldn't believe it had been a year ago. Other days, it felt like it had been three-hundred years ago. Not today though. He closed his eyes tightly and took a slightly sobbing breath. He could still see his father's smiling face as he had turned back to look at Jack and Mary, just before they severed off the road. The front window broke and water filled the car and Jack – Jack had panicked. Silent tears ran down his cheeks.

"It was my fault, it was my fault, it was my fault", whispered Jack to himself.

Which was the reason that he couldn't talk to Nick or Toothiana about this. If they'd know, they wouldn't want him anymore. He could never tell Mary either, she'd hate him. Why was he so weak? Why had he only been able to save himself and Mary, dooming their parents? He had killed them. It was his fault, he should have been more present, should have been more focused and saved his parents too, instead of dooming them. And now they were dead.

"...Jack? Are you... Are you alright?", asked Mary very softly as she entered the bedroom.

"I—I just had a... nightmare", muttered Jack, taking calming, slow breaths.

"About mom and dad?", asked Mary next, causing Jack to freeze. "It's okay, Jack. I... I miss them too. Everyone's so happy to make Christmas decorations and is happy about Christmas, but I'm... I don't really wanna celebrate this year, you know? I just wanna be... be alone and sad about mom and dad. I don't want to be happy, not without them."

Tears ran down her cheeks as she threw herself at him and he barely caught her. He hugged her close, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. Of course did she miss them, even if she didn't remember the accident itself, she still lost them too. And it hurt. It hurt so much. For long moments, the two of them just clung onto each other and cried into each other's shoulders. Once they were more calmed down, they curled together and started talking about what they missed most about their parents. What they would be doing right now, if they were still alive. How their mother would tell Christmas stories while their father would attempt to hang too many Christmas lights until their grumpy neighbor would come knocking and complaining. How they'd all bake cookies together.

/break\

It was the last day of school before Christmas and even though the anniversary of his parents' death was closer than ever, Jack felt more at ease than in the past few weeks. Ever since him and Mary had cried in each other's arms the other day, he felt less alone with his pain.

"J—Jack! Wait up!", called Hiccup out.

Jack frowned and looked curiously at Rapunzel next to him. She just blinked and shrugged, but paused in her steps. Both omegas turned around to see Hiccup running through the halls, Mister Bunnymund barking at him about not running in the hall. Hiccup was breathless and his cheeks were red by the time he caught up with them. Jack raised a curious eyebrow. Flushed and with messed-up hair, Hiccup looked insanely adorable, really.

"Ye—es?", asked Jack amused, tilting his head.

"I—I... uhm... I...", stammered Hiccup nervously, gulping.

"Oh! I think Flynn just called my name! I'll catch you later, Jack!", chimed Rapunzel.

Jack raised one eyebrow at how subtle Rapunzel was being as she skipped off. Honestly, he had come to adore that girl but she was a ridiculous creature sometimes. A lovable ridiculous creature, but still. With her gone, he turned toward Hiccup with both eyebrows raised now, arms crossed.

"I bought you a Christmas gift, I figured you just... since you're new around here and... and since you said that... Christmas isn't a very... happy time for you, so I wanted to do something to cheer you up maybe a little and, well...", started Hiccup before he thrust a box out at Jack.

Frowned confused, Jack looked at Hiccup for another moment before he opened the box. The frown melted from his face and he could feel his eyes filling with tears. He blinked rapidly to keep the tears from falling. It was a beautiful dark-blue glass frame, with light-blue glass snowflakes decorating it along the edges. And the picture inside the frame was of Jack, Mary and their parents.

"W—Where... b—but...", stuttered Jack, voice breaking off.

"I asked your sister for a picture", replied Hiccup, not looking at Jack. "I don't know if this is... too much. Or too private and I shouldn't have overstepped, but I just... I _wish_ I had a picture of me and my biological mother, so I thought maybe... A—And Mary said it's your favorite picture."

It was. They had been out at a lake for skating, it had been the year before the accident. All four of them were smiling brightly into the camera, Jack hugging Mary from behind as their parents stood left and right of them. A tear hit the frame after all as Jack started at it. When he looked up at Hiccup, he couldn't help but pull him into a very tight hug, feeling the alpha relax.

"Thank you, Hiccup. I... really appreciate it. It's beautiful", whispered Jack. "Merry Christmas."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy pre-holidays! :D So yeah, not the most cheerful Christmas special, I suppose. Oh well.
> 
> Next chapter, a big secret will be revealed and we will primarily focus on Hiccup and Jack growing closer over said shared secret. Because this might be a slow-burn, but they gotta stop dragging their feet here ;D


	9. Enchanted

_Chapter 9: Enchanted_

Christmas at the Saint Norths' had been... not what Jack had expected. Not that Jack knew what he would have had expected. But it was good. Nick was very enthusiastic and Toothiana had cooked basically everything imaginable. They did their best to keep Jack and Mary distracted from the heartache but they deliberately weren't overdoing it, knowing that they weren't ready for too much Christmas. But it was good. Jack was glad to have this... this new family, in a way. They would never be able to replace Jack and Mary's parents, but they were now _here_ , they were here for Jack and Mary and it was what both children needed and Jack was _grateful_ for that.

"So you enjoyed Christmas?", asked Rapunzel happily.

The two of them were out for ice-cream. Flynn was off with the Stabbingtons, because an old child-hood friend of theirs was over visiting – Lance Strongbow, a big fella but from what Jack had seen actually pretty cool. Moana was still off with her family and Merida and Hiccup had some kind of family event where the leaders sat together for dinner regularly. So it was just Rapunzel and Jack.

"Yeah. It was... not what I'm used to, which is _good_ , but it... It was nice", nodded Jack slowly.

"That's good", grinned Rapunzel, finishing her ice. "Do you want to go and see if Merida and Hiccup are done with dinner already? Merida got the _Hobbit_ trilogy for Christmas."

"...She did?", asked Jack with a slightly dubious look.

"Her dad just knows that 'that archer you so love is in this, right? You like it, right?'", shrugged Rapunzel with a bad Fergus-impersonation, grinning. "And it has a dragon, so that totally makes Hiccup love it. Benedict Cumberbatch is Hiccup's favorite actor. He totally adores _Sherlock_. And since the actor is also a dragon-shifter and _The Hobbit_ was his big chance of actually also playing in his shift-form, Hiccup fanboys so badly over those movies. It's funny."

Jack hummed and nodded. Hiccup fanboying was insanely cute. A slight blush dusted his cheeks. Okay, so maybe he had _kind of_ grown fond of Hiccup over the past weeks. Ever since Hiccup had soothed him after the nightmare even more so than before. Before, it felt like maybe Hiccup could become a good friend. Since Hiccup had held him safe and secure, whispering gently and soothingly, well, somehow Jack was starting to see Hiccup _slightly_ differently.

He had started to watch the way Hiccup's arms would bulge when working in the shop. The cute concerned wrinkle between his eyebrows when he was studying. The protective stance he took when with his little brother Hiro. The adorable blushes Hiccup occasionally spotted.

That Hiccup had then given Jack such a thoughtful Christmas present only made things worse. Hiccup sure was more than the awkwardly bumbling alpha Jack had first met. There was more to Hiccup and the more Jack saw, the more he felt himself growing more than just attached to him.

"Okay. Sure. Let's go and watch Hiccup be a dork", shrugged Jack as they got up.

GoGo and Honey Lemon were manning the _Lucky Cat Café_ on their own today due to the Alpha-couple being busy right now. GoGo grinned at them in greeting as they approached her.

"You kids want to head upstairs?", guessed GoGo amused. "Send my boyfriend downstairs if they're done with dinner already? He still owes me for a bet that he lost."

"Will do", grinned Rapunzel as they headed past her to get upstairs.

And indeed, dinner was over, as they realized when entering the Haddock-Hamada household. Cass, Heather and Elinor were in the kitchen, sharing a coffee, while Stoick and Fergus were in front of the TV watching a football game together with Tadashi, Dagur, Merida and a less than enthusiastic Hiccup. Toothless was there too, much to Jack's surprise. But Toothless was very busy chasing Mochi, the family's cat. It was kind of amusing to see, considering that Toothless was a might and impressive dragon-shifter, his form the same black mighty beast as Hiccup's. But right now, he looked more like an oversized kitten, trying to catch Mochi like that.

"Tadashi, GoGo says that if you're done with dinner, you 'owe her for a bet' and are supposed to go downstairs", stated Rapunzel, curiously enough making Tadashi blush. "And Jack and I, we thought that Hiccup and Merida would want to watch _The Hobbit_ with us, but... you look... busy?"

" _The Hobbit_?", asked Hiccup hopefully, clearly bored by the game.

Merida made a disgruntled sound but when Hiccup offered him the pleading puppy-eyes, she caved. Jack could relate to that. He would cave too. And he had less motivation than her; after all Merida was _Hiccup's girlfriend_. Jack frowned at the odd feeling in his stomach at that.

"Very well, children. Go", grunted Stoick with a dismissive hand-gesture.

Hiccup was off the couch and on the stairs within a moment. Toothless blinked up at them with his large eyes, gathering Mochi up in his arms and then following his best friend even though he hadn't caught anything of the conversation, his focus on the cat. Merida looked less thrilled as she too followed them. After popping the movie in and turning sub-titles on, the five teenagers got comfortable on Hiccup's bed. Merida and Hiccup were next to each other, shoulder to shoulder, with Rapunzel on Merida's other side and Jack on Hiccup's other side. Toothless and Mochi were sprawled out in front of them, Toothless still patting the not quite willing kitten.

The longer the movie went on, the more often Jack found himself watching Merida and Hiccup out of the corner of his eyes. There was this weird, heavy feeling in his stomach again. Merida was leaning against Hiccup, her fluffy red hair everywhere. Hiccup had a casual arm around her waist. The heavy feeling grew more uncomfortable. Frowning at himself, Jack scooted closer. For a moment, Hiccup looked startled, but then he tentatively wrapped his other arm around Jack and the omega found himself snuggling up to Hiccup even more. By the time the first movie ended, Jack had his feet resting in Hiccup's lap, very content with being so close to the alpha.

Merida all the while had gravitated to laying curled around Rapunzel. Something was just so weird about the supposedly relationship between Merida and Hiccup and Jack was unable to shake it. (Just like he was unable to shake the odd heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach, which was just so very utterly _irrational_ , even more so considering he _knew_ something was odd about Hiccup and Merida).

/break\

Toothless watched curiously how Merida, Rapunzel and Jack left the apartment. He had been watching closely lately. What had started off as something fun to tease Hiccup with was fast growing into something more serious. It was clear that his best friend wasn't just crushing on a pretty omega, he was falling hard and fast for Jack Overland, as a person. Toothless wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. He liked Jack, a lot. Jack was good people, he was also a good omega so that'd make him a good match for a young Alpha-to-be. And part of Toothless hoped that maybe falling in love with someone would make Hiccup end this _utterly ridiculous charade_ of dating Merida. Toothless sat and waited for Hiccup to do something.

"Okay. Spit it out. I can _see_ the judgment in your eyes", prompted Hiccup after a moment.

" _You were really cozy with Jack_ ", signed Toothless with a shrug. After a beat, he added: " _I'm not teasing. Not this time. Look. I can see that you... have actual feelings for him._ "

Hiccup blinked and blushed, ducking his head a little before answering his friend. " _I... Yes. I think. Honestly, it's been getting worse every day. He is so... and I just... it's..._ "

Toothless made a grunting sound in agreement as he nodded slowly. " _Have you talked about this with Merida yet? Because you two really should be on the same page there._ "

Hiccup bit his lips and before answering, he was already out of the room. Toothless was right. He mostly was. And oh dear lord, having Jack snuggled up to him might just be the best feeling ever. By the time Hiccup reached downstairs, he noticed that yes, Merida was still there, with her parents. The triplets had emerged again too – they had disappeared somewhere into the house after dinner, but since nothing had exploded, no one had been too concerned.

"Hiccup! Came to say goodbye? Such a good lad", chuckled Fergus fondly.

"I... uh... thought I could bring Merida home", offered Hiccup awkwardly.

"Ah, my. We did want to drop the boys off at the Bennetts'. So, if you wish to go ahead, Merida", nodded Elinor, pleased by the chivalry Hiccup was displaying.

Merida eyed him suspiciously, but in the end she shrugged in agreement. The triplets were making obnoxious kissing noises as Hiccup and Merida left the house together. Merida continued side-eyeing Hiccup as they made their way together and only when they were on the path toward Merida's home, off from public bystanders, did Hiccup gather up his courage.

"So... I mean. Uhm. You and I, we've kept this... whole spiel of courting up for... a while now."

"More or less successfully", hummed Merida in confirmation, looking around and not at her friend. "Mother buys into it completely. I think dad... suspects something, but he's not saying anything. What about you? Don't tell me Cass and Stoick are suspicious."

"No. That's not...", drawled Hiccup and ruffled his hair. "That's not why I wanna... I just..."

"...It's about _Jack_ ", concluded Merida with a brief nod. "You don't like how chummy he's getting with Moana so you'd rather come clean now before it's too late and we get invited to their mating-ceremony to watch them live happily ever after, eh?"

Hiccup made a face at that. Yes, Moana and Jack had become real close friends and yes, Hiccup could feel the territorial alpha inside of him rearing its head every time the two would touch casually. Maybe that was it. Maybe, more so than Tadashi's advise and Toothless' advise, it was how close Moana and Jack were growing. She was a good, honorable alpha. But...

"Don't act like it doesn't annoy you too", quipped Hiccup, hands deep in his pockets. "You've been baring your fangs at Jack. You've always been the sole focus of Moana's attention and now suddenly there's this pretty, new omega around who gets cozy with her and _you don't like it_."

Merida glowered at that, kicking a stone. Okay, so maybe she didn't. Maybe she had been just a bit hostile toward Jack because he was constantly so close to Moana. And maybe it wasn't fair to be territorial even though Moana wasn't hers. Stupid instincts.

"They're gonna glow a gasket", pointed Merida out. "All of them. It's been years now that we had this ruse going. If we flat-out tell them 'This was never real to begin with', they'll flip."

"...You're right. And I hate disappointing my parents. Lying to them for years...?", sighed Hiccup, tilting his head to look at her quizzically. "What do _you_ suggest, Mer?"

"...That we let it fade out slowly", drawled Merida thoughtfully. "We thought we were a match when we were still kids, but we're 'growing apart' the older we get. Coincidentally, softening our parents up to the possibility of Jack and Moana respectively?"

"W—What?", sputtered Hiccup stunned, eyes large.

"You could start telling them about his good character trades, everything that's impressive about him and makes him a good potential mate, while slowly detaching them from the idea of you and me. Let's just give it a couple weeks time, make it look natural. After all, that's the whole _point_ of a courting phase. That you can realize you're not meant to be and can still back out."

Hiccup paused for a long moment before nodding. "Okay. Yeah. Let's... try this."

/break\

Jack frowned curiously as he looked around the café. Hiccup had invited him over to help with a wall-painting that Cass wanted. Cass smiled brightly as she spotted him, waving.

"Oh, it is _so nice_ of you to help out! Hiccup has been talking about your beautiful art so much and I thought that a few flowers could really lighten up the place!"

"No problem, Missus Haddock-Hamada", replied Jack with a smile, grabbing a pen.

"Oh please. Cass is enough. And if you want _anything_ while working, just say the word."

Jack grinned at her before joining Toothless, Rapunzel and Hiccup at the large wall. Hiccup offered him a smile and a thank you. This was not strange, because Jack had been spending a lot of time with Hiccup by now, but this was a bit weird. Hiccup still smiled as the three artists got to work (Toothless was just sitting and watching, occasionally signing smart-ass remarks to them).

"So... uhm... what are you doing this break? Aside from painting the café?", asked Hiccup.

"Mh? Well. Eating too many cookies because of uncle Nick", drawled Jack with a grin. "Oh, playing ice-hockey with Jamie and the others. That's a lot of fun, actually. And going on... hunts with Flynn, Ron and Jon. Just us foxes. Do you think Hiro would like to tag along?"

"...That sounds like a horrible combination", muttered Hiccup. "He'll love it."

Jack laughed at that, making Hiccup's heart thumb dumbly. He was _so gone_ on Jack.

/break\

Hiccup's heart was fluttering as he clung onto Jack's hand. They were out on the ice, together with Hiro, Jamie and Jamie's small pack. The younger ones were engaged in a game of ice-hockey – Toothless, Cupcake, Pippa and Hiro against Caleb, Claude, Monty and Jamie. Jack and Hiccup were on the other side of the lake, where Jack was helping Hiccup how to properly navigate the ice.

Okay, so maybe Hiro, Hiccup and Toothless had gone to the lake and hadn't expected the others to play there. Hiro eagerly After a while of watching Toothless grow frustrated with how Hiccup was doing, Jack had suggested to switch with him. Hockey wasn't exactly Jack's thing.

"You're doing good, Hics", grinned Jack reassuringly.

"Y—Yeah. Well... I am mortified though", muttered Hiccup stiffly.

Jack laughed again and it was a beautiful, ringing sound that made Hiccup fall just a little harder. Oh goodness, he was already so gone on Jack. It was ridiculous.

"Hah! Hics! Hics, did you see? I scored!", called Hiro out excitedly.

Hiccup smiled as he turned toward his younger brother, giving him a thumbs-up. With the motion, he lost touch with Jack and found himself slithering away from his guide. He yelped a little as he drifted off. He had no idea how someone was supposed to _stop_ while on those stupid shoes. The kids playing laughed as they saw how he awkwardly slipped further away. Jack watched him fondly instead of coming to his rescue. The others were clearly having a bit of fun with this and Hiccup couldn't fault them. At least until he heard a cracking sound beneath him. The grin on Jack's face instantly froze as he and the kids watched in horror how the ice beneath Hiccup's feet broke to give way for a free fall into the ice-water. The shock was immediate, the water feeling like hundreds of needles on Hiccup's skin and fear wrapping him up tight, trying to suffocate him. Quite literally, considering that he was about to drown in a frozen lake. He turned to stare up at the surface and saw it already closing up again. Yes, this was it. This was how the alpha was going to die.

The water started to grow firm around his feet and he was sure this was it, but... the ice seemed to pull him, pull him _up_ toward the surface and the ice broke once more, allowing him to be pushed out of the lake _by the ice holding onto his leg_. Had he gone insane? Had the ice-water already fried his brain? How was this possible? And then, suddenly, a cold hand grasped his and pulled him fully out. He gasped for breath as he laid sprawled out on the flat surface.

"H—Hiccup?", asked Jack nearly fearfully.

Hiccup turned slightly as he fully pulled out of the water. He looked at Jack – looked at his worried face, beautiful ice-blue eyes filled with concern and fear and then he looked at Jack's hand. Jack's hand, pressed against the surface of the frozen water, frost covering it and spreading out from it, growing to cover the cracks, to fill them up. The frost grew and the hole where Hiccup had crawled out of just closed up within a second. This was impossible. Hiccup stared at Jack in awe.

"Y—You... You have... powers", whispered Hiccup amazed.

Like this beautiful and funny omega couldn't get any more perfect. No, Jack was powered. This was amazing. How had he not realized this sooner? Puzzle-pieces seemed to fall into place. How Jack had always run colder than anyone else, walking barefoot even in snow, the tense way he had reacted to the reveal that Moana and Rapunzel had powers. Because _he_ had powers.

"I—I don't know what you're talking about", growled Jack defensively and got up. "Jamie and the others ran to get help. We should get you off the lake for now."

Hiccup didn't doubt that the lake would hold now. That Jack was making sure of that. But he still obeyed the white-haired boy. Hiro and Jamie were the only ones still present, Jamie clearly holding Hiro back from rushing onto the lake to be with his brother. As soon as Jack and Hiccup stepped off the lake, Hiccup was tackled by his little brother, Hiro burying his face in Hiccup's stomach. Sighing shakingly, Hiccup wrapped his arms around his brother and allowed himself to be distracted long enough for Jack to slip away. But before Hiccup could decide to follow him, the others already returned with Gothi and reinforcements.

/break\

The incident at the lake had been two days ago and Hiccup hadn't seen Jack since then. He heaved a sigh and sprawled out on the couch. He was in the 'club-house' of his big brother's, formerly known as the garage. Tadashi, Honey Lemon, Gogo and Wasabi were all working on their individual projects in here. Wasabi was talking animatedly to Tadashi in a corner, while Honey and GoGo were working on a project together. Sometimes, Hiccup envied his brother for finding friends who shared his technological interests. Sure, Hiccup had Fishlegs, but that was kind of it. Astrid, Eret, Heather, Toothless – they all really couldn't care less about those kind of things.

Jack cared. In a way. He cared about the designs. He wasn't into inventing so much but he loved coming up with beautiful, delicate designs. Hiccup sighed at the memory of working on a robot together with Hiro, Jamie and Jack just last week – a robot based on one of the mythological creatures Jamie was so obsessed with, built by Hiro and Hiccup, with Jack working on the delicate designs to make it look as real as possible. An abominable snowman. They had called it Phil.

"So, what's with the mopey face, my dude?", asked Fred as he sat down next to him.

Hiccup frowned. He sometimes wondered how Fred fit in exactly, but then again, maybe he fit in the same way as Ruffnut and Tuffnut fit into Hiccup's circle of friends. Hiccup at the very least knew where Fred and Ruffnut came from; they kind of made sense, in a weird way.

"Say you had powers. Like Moana and Rapunzel", started Hiccup, because why not, maybe Fred could give him a different and fresh perspective (he sure knew Toothless would just tease and instantly know who Hiccup was talking about and Hiccup couldn't risk spilling the secret).

"That would be _so cool_!", exclaimed Fred enthusiastically. "I'd like to control fire, you know? Shoot it or something! That would be wicked awesome, man!"

"Yeah, okay, so say you could control fire", chuckled Hiccup. "Would you hide it? I mean, what reasons would you have to hide your powers...?"

Fred adapted a thoughtful look. "Well. Maybe, I mean, you know I read a lot of comics, right? And sometimes it's like... a hero with powers accidentally hurts someone they care about with his powers and then grows afraid of his powers? And then the hero needs to do something, well, heroic, to make him remember that his powers aren't evil, it's important you learn to control them. That."

Hiccup stared surprised. He hadn't really expected to get something that made sense, but... Fred was actually making sense. If Jack had bad experiences with people, maybe he felt the need to hide them, afraid of what they could do and what people would do if they learned. That made sense.

"Thanks, Fred. That... You really helped me out there", grinned Hiccup pleased.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is 2:30 in the morning which totally counts as it being this chapter's post-date, because I will be busy all day tomorrow! *^* Sooo, instead of a "let's see if I remember to post the chapter in the evening"-update, you get an ass-early one ;D
> 
> Neeext chapter will have lotsa Jack Angst and also Hiccup contronting Jack and talking to him about the powers. So. HiJack bonding!


	10. Despicable Me

_Chapter 10: Despicable Me_

"Mo—om! Mom, _look_!", giggled Mary excitedly.

"Sweetie, I'm driving. I can't look", chuckled Katherine Overland from the driver's seat. "Honey?"

She made a motion with one hand for her husband. He smiled widely as he turned around to face their children, white hair sticking wildly into every direction possible. Jack returned his father's smile, chest puffed out as he lifted his hands. He had frosted the car window over and drawn a bunny on the window. It took some concentration for him to pull the bunny off the window and give it a three-dimensional form. Now he had the bunny sitting on his hands, one ear slowly flopping down as it tilted its head. Mary next to Jack giggled again, clapping in utter excitement.

" _Well done, Jack_ ", praised their father. " _You have a natural talent for this_."

The smile on Jack's lips grew, nearly splitting his face with the pride of his father's praise. And that was the moment everything changed. Their mother made a startled sound as there was a deer on the dark street. She steered out of its way, but she could not steer properly. The streets were frozen over and the car just continued sliding. They were shaken around so wildly that the bunny fell, Jack too startled to keep it composed. The snow melted on his pants, soaking his thighs, but he was too focused on his sister. She was screeching in fear as they went over the bridge. They broke the ice, crashed into the frozen river they had tried to go over. The pressure was too much and the glass gave in, creaking horribly as cracks formed along it.

"J—Jack, I'm scared", sobbed Mary, clinging onto him.

Their father was unconscious, bleeding from the head where it had hit the door when being thrown around, their mother was struggling with the seat-belt but it did not budge. Jack undid his own and crawled over to Mary as the water started to fill the car from the front. She was bleeding from a head-wound and her eyes were unfocused as Jack cradled her close.

"It's okay, sweetie, it's okay. Everything is going to be okay", assured Katherine, but the panic was evident in her voice. "Jack, Jack, you need to do _everything_ to protect your sister, okay? Promise."

The water was reaching her chin. He _tried_. He tried really-really hard. He needed to stop the water. He could stop it. He just had to freeze it. The water reached his mother's forehead. Mary made a frightened noise as the water reached them. Suddenly, like a burst, it came. Like a blast, freezing everything around them, keeping Jack and Mary safe in an air-bubble.

"Mary? M—Mary?", asked Jack frightened, but his sister had lost conscience.

/flashback|end\

Jack screamed, a broken and torn sound, as he bolted up in his bed. Tears were running down his cheeks as he scrambled into a corner of his bed and pulled his legs up to wrap his arms around them. It was his fault. _He_ had killed his parents. He had condemned them to die in the ice, selfishly saving himself and his sister. If only he could have been strong enough, if only he would have been able to summon the ice earlier, to also save his parents. But he had been weak and frightened and fear had made him lose control of his powers, had made him unable to react.

Uncontrollable sobbing wrecked his body as he curled together closer.

His powers, they were a _curse_. They had failed him when he had needed them the most. Because of them, his parents were now gone. Maybe his mother would have noticed the deer earlier, had she not been distracted by making their father aware of what Jack wanted to show them.

And now Hiccup knew about his cursed powers. What would Hiccup think of him if he knew...?

"Jack, my boy...?", asked uncle Nick carefully as he knocked on the door. "Are you... awake?"

"Y—Yeah", grunted Jack, rubbing his cheeks dry.

"Are you joining us for breakfast...?", inquired Nick softly.

"I... I'll be... in a second", whispered Jack, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

/break\

Hiccup frowned thoughtfully as he made his way up the mountains to visit the St. Norths', or more specifically Jack. He needed to assure Jack that everything was alright.

When he landed, touching down on the ground, he shuddered at the coldness of the snow. A whine tore from his throat as he pulled his wings close. The dragon-form was the best way to make this journey, because on foot, it took _forever_ and even longer for him with his prosthetic. The joints tended to freeze in this kind of cold. The large, black dragon looked around curiously.

There were imprints in the snow. The imprints of a fox. Lowering his head down to said tracks, he sniffed, trying to catch a scent. It was faint – snow and the ice-cold winds made for an excellent cover – but the scent of Jack Overland was one Hiccup easily recognized. He instantly followed it, keen on finding his omega, to reassure Jack that everything was okay.

It took him some time to track the white fox, finding Jack sitting at the shore of the very lake Hiccup had broken into three days ago. The fox sat there, forlorn. Just enduring the snow and the cold, no shelter whatsoever. Hiccup came to sit beside him, spreading one large wing out over Jack to shield him, to protect him from the weather. Jack blinked slowly and looked up at him. He looked ready to bolt, so Hiccup leaned down to nudge his head gently against Jack's, cooing softly.

"W—What are you... doing here?", asked Jack as he changed back to his human form.

The boy avoided looking at him, instead still staring out at the lake. Hiccup sighed and moved so his tail was spread out in front of Jack. It took the white-haired boy only a moment to understand what the dragon wanted, seeing the prosthetic leg lied onto the tail. Clever. Their magic allowed them to turn their clothes into fur, integrating it into their shift-form and thus not being left naked when shifting back, but a human prosthetic leg attached to a human leg would not last when the person shifted into a dragon. Carefully untying the leg, he waited for Hiccup to shift back. The brunette collapsed onto the snow as he lost his balance. Frowning, Jack handed the leg over.

"What do you want, Hiccup?", asked Jack once more.

"I want to talk to you, Jack. You ran away so fast...", drawled Hiccup.

He reluctantly rolled his pant-leg up to attach his leg. Jack tried not to look, but he couldn't help it.

"Does it hurt?", wondered Jack. "I mean..."

"Sometimes. Gothi calls them phantom pains", sighed Hiccup lowly. "And sometimes, it gets sore, when the prosthetic rubs it too raw or sits too tight. But... it's okay. Most of the time. I learned to live with it. With both, the prosthetic and the pain."

"I can't...", whispered Jack very lowly, returning his gaze to the lake.

"What?", asked Hiccup confused, readjusting his pants once more and getting off the wet ground.

"I haven't managed to live with the pain of the loss, or the... replacement", whispered Jack.

"...Ah", nodded Hiccup in understanding. "Do you... want to explain it to me? Tell me what happened...? And... what it has to do with your... powers?"

"I always had them in me, but they only broke when I presented as an omega", admitted Jack after a beat. "Like my father. An arctic fox, with ice-powers. My hair turned white as my fur and I... was an omega. They... called me a freak. For being a male omega. For my white hair. For my... powers. Where I'm from, those things are seen as a curse, something to other you from the rest."

Hiccup had the urge to disagree, to tell him that wasn't true, but he was too afraid to permanently shut Jack up by accident. So instead, he waited for Jack to finish his story.

"But... my dad, he was so... he was so _proud_. That I was a fox like him, that I had his powers. From the day I got them, he trained me in how to use them. He told me they are dangerous, if you can't control them. That... that I should never be afraid of my powers. That they were a part of me", continued Jack, swallowing hard. "He... taught me to love them. We built snowmen in the summer and when winter came, I had already managed a pretty good control over my powers."

Jack paused, taking a shaky breath as he turned to fully face away from him. "We were in the car together. And I was trying a trick. Dad used to do this in the winter, when the windows frosted over. Creating shapes and animating them into... well, not life, but like... puppets that he controlled. And I was bored, because long car-rides, you know? I drew a bunny and I managed to pull it from the window, to make it hop around. I still remember the excited laugh from Mary. And then... then the accident happened. And we were in the lake, the water was... everywhere. I—I tried to freeze it, but I was exhausted from having created the bunny. I wasn't _strong_ enough. The water... it... it reached Mary and me, the front of the car was already filled with it. A—And pure fear took me over. I don't know, maybe it was the... survival-instinct that pushed it, but... I froze it. Everything around us. Mary and I, we were stuck in the last bubble of air. And we waited. It was... it was getting thin by the time the firemen came and rescued us. But... But our parents were... were dead..."

Hiccup nodded, watching Jack numbly. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say. There were no words that were right. No words that could help. Nothing he could say to possibly make it better.

"Jack, you _must_ know it's not your fault. You must know that", whispered Hiccup lowly.

"If I had been stronger, I could have protected them too. If I hadn't played around, maybe mom wouldn't have been so distracted, or I would have had the energy to also safe them. Instead... Instead _I sealed their fate_ ", argued Jack, voice breaking as he sobbed.

"That... That wasn't your fault", whispered Hiccup firmly as he pulled the omega into a very tight and protective embrace. "It wasn't your fault. You did everything you could. You were fifteen, Jack. You barely had your powers for a few months, right? Of course weren't you strong enough to control them then! When Moana presented and gained her powers, she could hardly move the water in a glass. It wasn't your fault that you weren't strong enough to save them, but you saved yourself and you saved your sister. Without your powers, you and your sister would also be dead."

Jack stood frozen in the alpha's embrace as he listened to Hiccup. It was strange. Hearing those things. No one had ever told him that it wasn't his fault, because he had never shared this with _anyone_. The ones who had found them had assumed it had been their father, using his powers to protect the children. Jack stayed silent, too ashamed to admit the truth. This was the first time he had confessed to this and it was the first time he heard someone say that it wasn't his fault.

Something inside of him snapped, broke, and he collapsed against Hiccup, clinging onto the alpha and sobbing uncontrollably. Hiccup tightened his hold on Jack's waist to steady him, to support him. He was firm and strong and warm in Jack's arms, like an anchor of safety.

"It's not your fault, Jack, it wasn't your fault, you did everything you could", assured Hiccup.

And he kept repeating it, kept saying soothing things until the omega in his arms was calmed down considerably. Quiet sniffles were the last of it as Jack gathered himself again.

"And... And you haven't used your powers since then...? Until two days ago?", asked Hiccup.

"What? No", grunted Jack, frowning up at the alpha. "I'm not an _idiot_. I didn't just forget my father's warnings. These powers are dangerous when you not know how to control them. If I hadn't learned, I would have killed Mary and me in the process too probably, so I couldn't risk losing control. I... I could not risk accidentally hurting anyone. So I never stopped training. Control is the only way to beat the fear and I could not let it win. I just... I just had to _hide_ the powers. I didn't want anyone to know, I didn't want to be teased for them again, like I had back at home. I didn't want to be... to be feared. Where I'm from they were afraid of people with powers, because those powers were... unholy. I just... I just wanted a new life, for myself and Mary. A safe life."

"So... that's why you were so surprised when you learned that Punzel and Moana have powers?", offered Hiccup thoughtfully. "Because Flynn, Merida and I, we just... accept them and don't condemn them. You didn't know... if that was... real?"

"Yeah", nodded Jack, resting his forehead against Hiccup's collarbone. "I thought it was just... just _you_ , you know? That you were okay with them, because you guys are friends. I'm still afraid what _everyone_ will think. And I'm afraid to... disappoint. That I won't be strong enough..."

"You are _incredibly_ strong", disagreed Hiccup heatedly. "You carried this burden all alone for the past year. You saved your sister's life. You didn't give up after your parents died. You're so strong, Snowflake. So, so strong. And... And if _anyone_ ever gives you a hard time, you tell me and I'll personally make them pay for it. Because our island is _safe_ and no one will be cast out for being different. We _cherish_ our omegas and we _value_ those with powers, for they are a great asset to our pack. Anyone thinking otherwise is just simply _wrong_."

Hiccup had his head resting on top of Jack's, feeling the soft, white hair tickling him. Jack was pressed against his chest, still holding onto him. The omega didn't react for a very long moment.

"Can... we go somewhere?", asked Jack softly. "I don't know where. Just... somewhere _not_ frozen?"

"Not frozen. Sure. We can do that", chuckled Hiccup. "If... you take my leg, I can... shift back. Fly us down to the foot of the mountain. We could... I don't know... eat cake...?"

"Cake sounds good", nodded Jack nearly timidly.

He found himself suddenly irrationally nervous as he watched Hiccup detach the leg once more and then shift into his dragon-form. The truth was, Jack had never flown before, at least not _like this_. Hiccup's shift-form was mesmerizing. The black-scaled dragon with the large, green eyes was such a stark contrast to the white of the snow. The dragon lowered himself onto the ground, offering Jack to climb on top of it. Biting his lower lip, Jack carefully took the invitation and climbed on top of the dragon. He yelped when Hiccup sat up. Wrapping his arms around Hiccup's neck, he clung onto the prosthetic leg and the dragon at the same time, tensely waiting.

It was strange.

The tension and fear melted away as soon as they were airborne. All that was left was this breathtaking sensation. Soaring through the sky, touching the clouds. The way everything looked from high up above like this – his home looking more like a toy house set in a fake mountain. Yet it was all _real_ and he was actually this far up in the air. What looked like a toy-city was their city.

And the most amazing part of it...? He did not feel like he was in any kind of danger. He felt perfectly safe, as long as Hiccup was right there. Even if Jack would fall, he _knew_ Hiccup would catch him. He felt so incredibly free as they soared the sky.

By the time they touched down on the ground again, Jack felt nearly high with the feeling of freedom. And he knew it wasn't just from the flight. The things Hiccup had told him, or even just the act of finally admitting this secret aloud, it had felt so _freeing_.

"You okay, Snowflake?", asked Hiccup gently once he shifted back.

Jack paused at that. There it was again, this nickname. Hiccup had called him that earlier too. Turning toward the alpha, Jack quietly watched how Hiccup fastened the leg once more.

"I am. Why... uhm... do you call me that?", asked Jack unsure.

It took Hiccup a moment to realize that _he had called Jack 'Snowflake'_. Emerald eyes widened in panic as the realization set in, while his cheeks flushed an embarrassed red. That was the stupid nickname he called Jack in his head. What would the omega think of him now...?

"I—I... uhm... it's... a nickname", mumbled Hiccup embarrassed. "Because of your white hair."

"Ah", nodded Jack slowly, still eyeing Hiccup curiously.

"I—If you don't like it, then... then I'll stop calling you that", promised Hiccup.

Only a short moment passed before Jack shook his head. "That's... okay. I never... had a nickname before, aside from Frost, I guess. But it's... heh, it's a cute name."

Hiccup's smile lit up his entire face. The look made Jack feel oddly proud because he had put it there. He enjoyed this, enjoyed making Hiccup smile like that. Shaking the thought off, Jack turned around to look at where they had landed. They were right in front of the alpha's home.

"I promised you cake. So you shall have cake", declared Hiccup.

As they entered the café, a couple other guests were filling the tables but it wasn't overly busy. Wasabi was sitting with Fred and Tadashi in one corner, seemingly brooding over something (well, Tadashi and Wasabi were; Fred was eating their cupcakes). Mister Sanderson and Mister Bunnymund sat at another table, Aster grumbling about something. Jack and Hiccup walked past Snotlout, Dagur and the Stabbingtons and Hiccup was aware how his adopted brother looked at them. Quizzically. Dagur, he... meant well, but he very often got too invested and too enthusiastic. If he were to know Hiccup had feelings for Jack, then he would _never_ let it die and would probably ruin Hiccup's slow plan. Because yes, he and Merida were definitely doing as the redhead had suggested. Slowly grow apart while softening their parents up for... a different choice in mate.

"Here. I, uh, brought a piece from everything", declared Hiccup.

Jack looked up from where he had already sat down at a table. He blinked slowly as he watched Hiccup carry three plates, each with two pieces of cake. This was far too much. Well, normally, but Jack was also really very much craving something sweet right now. Crying was so exhausting and he really needed some sugar to lift his spirits again. Cheesecake, raspberry cake, fruit cake with bananas, strawberry cake, chocolate cake and something that was half-vanilla and half-nougat.

"They look _amazing_!", declared Jack eagerly.

"Thanks for the compliment", chimed Cass where she was cleaning a table next to them.

Jack smiled as he took his first bite of the cheesecake, moaning softly. "Oh, this doesn't just look amazing, it also tastes amazing. You're a wizard in the kitchen, Mis—Cass."

Cass turned to smile pleased at the boy. "If you want to learn, you can drop by, you know? I give baking lessons once a week and I'm always happy to see a new face."

"I'd love to", nodded Jack, cheeks stuffed with cake. "I always wanted to learn how to make cakes. I make pretty good cookies, but I've never done something larger than a cupcake."

"Ah, an omega eager to learn the ways of the kitchen, _so rare these days_ ", sighed Cass.

"I don't know what exactly you just said, mom, but I _know_ it was a jibe against me!", called Hiro out from behind the counter when he saw the way Cass was looking at him.

The most innocent smile found its way onto her face. "Not just Hiro. It really is rare the days. Not that there is anything wrong with an emancipated omega who wants _more_ than just the household... but I sometimes do wonder if they're aware that they're hurting themselves more than anyone else if they don't even know how to prepare a _meal_. Everyone has to eat. I think that _everyone_ should know how to cook and bake and generally handle food."

" _I_ know how to cook", protested Hiccup, out of principle.

"Because you're a good, clever young man who knows he won't want to starve to death one day", grunted Cass playfully. "After all, there is no hope for Merida in the kitchen."

Jack looked confused until Hiccup leaned in. "She once baked pastries for the family and her mom and her brothers had such a bad case of food-poisoning, they turned into their shift-form and were too weak to turn back _for days_. It was a very... chaotic time."

Jack nodded in understanding, cracking a little bit of a smile as he dug into the second piece of cake. Cass went back to work and Hiccup also started eating – before Jack could eat it all. It was nice. Calm and peaceful, just the two of them and the delicious cakes.

"You should talk to the others", suggested Hiccup after a while.

"Mh?", grunted Jack confused, licking whipped cream off his fingers.

Hiccup was too distracted by Jack wrapping his lips around the finger and sucking it off, the image too enchanting for Hiccup to concentrate on anything else. "Uhm. I mean, if you're not ready to tell them all, I get that. But... Moana. Rapunzel. Maybe Mister Sanderson. They're elementals, they could help you. You have control, but... training with someone else... It might _help_ you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weeell, Cass is already on board with Jack. ;D Next chapter will feature Jack and other elementals, talking about their powers - and using them. More bonding for Jack and Moana and Rapunzel~


	11. The House of Magic

_Chapter 11: The House of Magic_

Jack sighed softly where he was curled together on the windowsill. He was watching the snow fall. In the background, he could hear the tinkering. The Haddock-Hamada boys had come over to geek out with Nick and Gobber. The two adults were working on something big – a sleigh that could be driven like a car. The five of them were having a lot of fun with it and Jack was kind of enjoying the background noise. A background noise of fun and laughter.

"Hey. You want some cookies?"

Blinking slowly, Jack turned to look at Hiro. He was holding a plate of chocolate chip cookies. Reaching out, he took one cookie and nibbled on it carefully. Hiro took that as an invitation and climbed up next to Jack, turning to look out of the window in awe.

"Are you okay?", asked Hiro carefully, still staring out of the window, watching the valley.

The view was breathtaking – Berk and Burgess laid at their feet, like toy cities. Jack hummed confused, cracking a piece of chocolate between his teeth and tilting his head.

"You're been really distant since the time at the lake a week ago", elaborated Hiro carefully. "I... talking to Mary – I saw her at the Bennetts yesterday – and uh, I dunno if that was okay, but... she said that the whole breaking into a frozen lake... that's how your parents died... So I was... worried, if Hiccup breaking into the lake was... like a flashback for you and that you're... not okay?"

Jack's eyes softened as he stared at the younger omega. Hiro had turned to look at him with large, concerned eyes. Putting the cookie down, Jack sat up and leaned over to pull Hiro into a hug, brushing his chin over Hiro's head, scent-marking the younger one. Hiro gladly leaned into the hug.

"Thanks for worrying", smiled Jack thinly. "Yeah, it... it did remind me of... _that_. I'm fine. I'll just need some time to... let it sink in again. But I'll be fine, promise."

If even Hiro worried about him, maybe Jack really needed to deal with this. Somehow. His eyes wandered over to watch Hiccup for a moment, how the brunette was laughing at something Gobber and Nick had said. Hiccup's suggestion still rang in Jack's ears. Talk to other elementals. Maybe he should. He was just... really nervous about revealing his powers. How they'd take it.

/break\

Hiccup was _dazed_. There was no other way to describe it. Jack had asked him to come along when talking to the Gothels. The pride swelling Hiccup's chest was essentially making him fall over face-first. The trust Jack placed in him, the implication that Jack felt safe with him...

He was elbowed hard and turned to glare at his best friend who just rolled his eyes. " _Stop thinking about Jack. Concentrate on the game. I barely get you to myself anymore these days_."

Instantly, Hiccup felt guilty and averted his eyes at that. He had been so busy with his duties, with school work, actual work, his projects – and with Jack. Right away, Toothless elbowed him again.

" _Stop being guilty and start kicking butt, Haddock_ ", ordered Toothless, motioning at the screen.

They were playing Mario Kart and Hiccup had lost again. Smiling weakly, Hiccup picked up his controller. It was stupid to get distracted with Jack all the time. It was just... this trust. Jack trusted him and it made him feel so stupidly proud. Jack had asked Hiccup yesterday, when Hiccup had been over at the St. Norths' for tinkering. Clearly, Nick and Toothiana liked him – which was good, because the future in-laws liking you was kind of important. And Hiccup was already working on softening his own parents to the idea of Jack. Cass seemed to already adore Jack, after he had been over for the baking lessons this weekend. Stoick respected Jack and liked him because Jack was bonding with Hiro (Hiccup had _carefully_ asked about Jack last night).

" _Okay. Tell me in details about why he's distracting you this time_."

Toothless sighed as the two settled down on Hiccup's bed, facing each other. They had given up on Mario Kart. Hiccup smiled sheepishly and adjusted, leaning back against the headboard.

" _Okay, so there is this thing I can't tell you. It's Jack's. But it's important to him. And he's nervous about doing it and now he asked me to come with him, as moral support_ ", explained Hiccup.

Toothless blinked, his eyes wide. " _Okay, that is huge. Permission for dorky nervousness granted_."

Hiccup huffed and leaned over to shove his best friend. " _I just... I feel like we're really close now, you know? That there is something... that connects us._ "

Toothless just snorted and shook his head fondly. " _Let's raid the fridge and watch a movie_?"

Giving him a thumbs-up, Hiccup got off the bed and made his way downstairs. Tomorrow, he was going to the Gothels with Jack. Today, he was going so have some Toothless-time.

/break\

"You need to relax, boy", declared Moana with a bright, friendly smile.

She had one arm wrapped around Jack's shoulders, ruffling his hair. Hiccup and Jack had gone to pick her up to go to the Gothels together. At first, she had been surprised to see the two boys in front of her door, especially since Jack seemed clearly nervous.

"So, what are we doing, boys?", asked Moana curiously. "Is Merida already at Punzel's, or...?"

"Merida's not coming", replied Hiccup with a smile. "She's busy sitting the triplets."

It was only a half-lie, because Merida actually would be busy with the triplets all afternoon. But that had also been deliberate, because Jack was already nervous enough about telling others with elemental powers, so Merida, Toothless and Flynn were kept out of the loop for now.

As they reached the Gothels' tower, Hiccup took Jack's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze before knocking with his free hand. It didn't take long for an excited Rapunzel to open the door for them, her face instantly brightening even more as she looked at her friends.

"Guys! Hey!", greeted Rapunzel. "Come on it."

"Is your grandma home?", asked Hiccup, earning a confused look from the girls.

"Uh, sure?", nodded Rapunzel. "Is there... something special you came for...?"

Jack still hadn't spoken a word. He was fidgeting with his sleeve. Talking to Hiccup had been easier because Hiccup had _seen_ his powers. Blinking slowly, Jack looked down at their still joined hands. Hiccup was drawing soothing circles on the back of Jack's hand with his thumb. It was nearly disturbingly soothing. Jack found himself sub-consciously leaning into Hiccup.

"Ye—eah. Jack would like to talk to your grandmother. And to you two", replied Hiccup.

Rapunzel disappeared upstairs to go and get her grandmother, while Moana, Hiccup and Jack went to the living room to sit down together. Jack was pressed closely against Hiccup, soaking up the warmth of the alpha and his scent. Moana frowned concerned, attuned to the anxious omega next to her. She was curious what was going on exactly, but it was clearly upsetting for Jack.

" _Hello, Jack. What can I do for you?_ ", signed Gothi as she entered the living room.

Jack frowned, trying to figure out how to phrase this. "Hiccup... and the others... told me that there's shifters with powers on this island. And how... how you guys... you know, respect that."

" _Of course we do_ ", replied Gothi, settling down on the couch opposite Jack, Hiccup and Moana. " _Those elemenatal powers are an ancient blessing, from old days. Back when shifters spent equal time in their animal form as in their human, some even more. When we relied heavier on our instincts. The powers were natural, every shifter had them. But the more people started to form... human societies, shedding their feathers and fur and scales, the more they forgot the magic inside_."

Jack's eyebrows were high as he watched her in fascination. He had never heard that. He knew nothing about powers. Where he came from, powers were something rare and dangerous and feared. His father hadn't known where they came from either and looking it up online was downright impossible. There were thousands of different theories – some condemning them, others seeing them as a blessing, some saying they were something new, a mutation, others claiming the powers were ancient. It was just confusing to try and get any information.

" _What kind of powers do you have_?", asked Gothi with a mischievous, knowing smile.

Jack stiffened and Moana and Rapunzel looked at him curiously. Hiccup reached his free hand out to squeeze Jack's thigh, patting it reassuringly. Biting his lip very hard, Jack lifted a hand. He twirled it around a few times, causing snowflakes to fly around it. They multiplied, dancing like a miniature snow-storm. Rapunzel and Moana both gasped in surprise as they watched.

"That is wicked, boy! Why didn't you tell us sooner?", asked Moana stunned, slapping him on the shoulder. "Like, when we told you about our powers?"

"Where... Where I'm from, people with powers are freaks", muttered Jack, folding his hands on his lap and looking at them stoically. "It was a small town and... and they... They called me a freak, for being a male omega, for having powers, for my white hair. They had no room for awe or anything positive. They just made fun of me and... and were scared of me."

" _The foolish always fear what they don't understand_ ", offered Gothi with a heavy sigh. " _For a long time, those with powers were called witches and burned at the stake. It took many years and scientists to research the history of those powers to understand that they are, fundamentally, a part of us. Studies show that people who live their lives connected to their shifter-side, they are more prone to develop their powers, because the powers are closely linked to the magic of shifting_."

Jack hummed and nodded. It did make sense. Changing skins was magic, so was this elemental control. Maybe it did come more naturally to those who were more attuned to their shapeshifting magic. Jack had always been very attuned to his inner fox thanks to his dad.

"So... you were bullied for your powers?", asked Moana gently, reaching out for him.

"...Yeah", sighed Jack.

"That's why you were so closed-off and defensive when you first came here, right?", guessed Rapunzel before she tackled him in a tight hug. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay", sighed Jack and leaned into her hug.

" _Have you been trained in your powers_?", inquired Gothi once the focus was on her again.

"Yes. My father was a fox-shifter with ice-powers too. He taught me how to control them and some tricks", replied Jack. "But... But I never met anyone else with powers, especially not someone with different powers than ice. I... Hiccup suggested that I should talk to you..."

" _A wise boy, that one_ ", agreed Gothi. " _Will be a good Alpha one day_."

Hiccup blushed at the praise and ducked his head, but Jack couldn't help and agree with her. Hiccup was kind and considerate. He was helpful and gentle and very perceptive. He truly would make for a good and fair Alpha one day. Also, blushing Hiccup was really cute.

"What... I don't really understand what your element is?", asked Jack awkwardly. "Light...?"

Gothi lifted her hand and it was glowing. Rapunzel however, she started singing softly – and with it, her hair started glowing golden. Jack blinked and looked at the two women curiously.

"I... I'm not good with it", offered Rapunzel and ducked her head. "Mom taught me the song as a shorthand. It helps me concentrate the magic. Somehow, I can only make my hair glow though..."

" _It's where the myth of magic spells comes from_ ", offered Gothi patiently. " _Using words to concentrate your powers. It helps many staying focused._ "

Jack nodded in understanding. The first one to get up was Gothi and she motioned for the teens to follow her. Without question, they did. Outside in the garden, Gothi motioned at the pond while staring at Moana pointedly. Catching up with what the elderly woman wanted, Moana used her powers to raise the water. It rose in the shape of a tongue, the tip pointing into their direction.

"Mom says that my control will grow better and I'll be able to control more. Dad is mortified by the idea of me growing more powerful. He worries a lot and he's seen power lead to disaster before", offered Moana gently. "I... I understand why he's worried and he understands it's a part of me."

Jack hummed and nodded slowly. He raised both his hands and concentrated on the pond. He was powerful. He aware of that power. Closing his eyes for a second, he froze the pond. Ice was spiking up into all different directions, making it nearly look like a sculpture.

There were gasps around him and he barely dared to open his eyes. He was afraid. Afraid they would judge him, be scared of him. Instead, Rapunzel squealed and jumped him again.

"This is amazing!", exclaimed the blonde omega, still hugging him tightly. "Wait, can you also make it snow, or can you only freeze things? Like, _really_ make it snow...?"

Frowning, Jack took a deep breath and concentrated on the climate. The gasps this time around were softer and the look of awe om even Moana's face as the snow – snow she usually did not like – fell onto her face was definitely not negative. Hiccup reached for Jack's hand again.

"This is truly beautiful", whispered Rapunzel as she whirled around in the snow.

Jack made a motion with his hand, twirling it once. The snow whirled up and formed a heap that slowly started taking the shape of a snowman. Rapunzel clapped in her excitement and Moana whistled. Jack bit his lower lip to suppress the smile.

" _If you are afraid to use your powers in front of others, you are always free to come here and train with Rapunzel. Heaven knows she can use the training_ ", offered Gothi.

"Yeah, we can all train together!", agreed Moana enthusiastically. "It'd be cool. Like our own small class of magic with Master Gothi."

" _Do or do not. There is no try_ ", signed Gothi mischievously.

It got her a laugh out of the teens and Jack finally fully relaxed. This had gone far better than anticipated. And the thought of having a safe space to use his powers with other users was nice. It was very reassuring. He knew he'd need more time before he would feel ready to tell others, but for now, this felt good. It took a weight off his shoulders that he had not realized he was carrying.

/break\

"You smell like Jack a lot lately", stated Merida judgmentally, frowning.

Moana blinked as she looked up. She was cleaning her ship, Merida hanging in the ropes and eating an apple. The omega looked annoyed, which confused Moana a little. Well, for the past week, she had met nearly daily with Jack and Rapunzel to train. Perhaps she was feeling left out.

"We... do a lot with each other", shrugged Moana, not liking that she had to keep a secret from her.

"You wanna court him?", asked Merida directly, glaring just a bit.

The frown on Moana's face deepened as she sat down so she could face the redhead. "No. We're just friends. What's with the interrogation, Merry? Isn't it normal that Jack and I would grow closer, considering whenever the six of us hang out, him and I are the fifth and sixth wheel? Flynn and Rapunzel, you and Hiccup. Being the only singles among couples..."

"Well, Hiccup and I aren't a couple", huffed Merida, before tagging on. "Not anymore anyway."

"...Mh?", grunted Moana surprised, eyes large. "What...? What happened?"

She wasn't sure how to comprehend this piece of information, thrown so casually at her. For as long as she and Merida had known each other, Merida had been betrothed to Hiccup. The future leaders of the island. And now all of a sudden, Merida announced that she and Hiccup had broken up?

"We've...", started Merida, very careful to pick her words and make this sound solid. "We've tried to make it work because it was what our parents wanted and when we were kids, it was okay to just... be courting, because we didn't really know what it meant. But now that we're older and, you know, interested in that kind of stuff, we've been realizing that we don't really fit. We've been growing apart, in that way. And we figured it'd be best to just give up on it, because it won't work anyway."

"...Oh", nodded Moana slowly, unsure what to say.

"So. You know. Not the only singles in the group anymore", declared Merida nearly defensively. "So there's no reason for you and Jack to get all chummy."

Moana's brain took a long moment to process it all and there was only one way this all could really fit together. Merida getting so defensive about Jack, telling her that she and Hiccup weren't actually together anymore and now saying that Moana didn't need to get so chummy with an unmated omega. But surely that wasn't right. Merida wasn't _jealous_ of Jack, right...?

"Are... Are you... jealous of Jack?", asked Moana slowly, blinking.

Merida's cheeks matched her hair and Moana felt like her brain needed a reboot. "I—I..."

"You _are_. B... Because of me", muttered Moana, her own cheeks feeling hot.

Merida glared and wiggled her nose. "You're cool. You're adventurous and exciting like no one else on this dull island. I like you a lot. A... lot a lot. And maybe that's why me and Hiccup can't work out. Because I like you way more than him."

Biting her lips, Moana scooted closer. "So... So if I'd... ask you out on a date..."

"I'd have to say no", frowned Merida annoyed, sighing when she saw Moana's face. "It's just... our parents don't know yet. We wanted to... ease them into this. And if I'd instantly go 'So me and Hiccup broke the courting off, by the way I'm going on a date with Moana this Saturday', that would definitely be too much for my mom. It's... a slow game, but... it'll be worth it. So... So if you... uh... mean it, do you think you can... wait for me?"

"Sure. Yeah. Of course", agreed Moana, face-splitting grin in place.

Merida spotted a small grin as she climbed down and sat down with Moana. "And... if I'd ask you to... make a good impression on my parents? Before our first date?"

"Buttering them up? I can do that. I could come over for dinner, bring dessert?", offered Moana.

They often did that, coming over to each other's houses after school and staying for dinner. Merida smiled and leaned in to peck Moana's cheek, getting the most adorable startled expression from the female alpha. Giggling to herself, Merida also kissed Moana's other cheek.

/break\

Jack startled and turned wide-eyed to his window when something repeatedly hit the glass. At first he thought it was someone throwing stones at it, but it was a beak. A bird. A beautiful, soft-red and white bird of paradise. Also known as a bird that _really_ didn't belong in the snowy mountains. Raising both his eyebrows, he hastily unlocked the window and let the bird in. Shaking itself free from the snow, the bird shifted back to human form – back to Moana.

"Merida and Hiccup aren't dating anymore", blurted Moana out as soon as she had safe footing. "Merida told me and she told me she likes me and we're going on a date as soon as her parents know she's not with Hiccup anymore, because we want to seem decent and all, but... Merida _likes_ me! The girl I've been into for forever actually does like me!"

She jumped Jack in her excitement, hugging him tightly. Jack smiled, happy for his friend, though he couldn't quite shake the thought that something about this seemed off. Now, all of a sudden, they broke up...? They hadn't seemed like an actual couple from day one. Something smelt fishy.

But that was when something else caught up with him too. Moana had flown all the way up here to tell him in person, as the first – probably the only one considering the secrecy of things. Jack had _never_ had a friend before who would come to him first with news of any sort. Honestly, Dragon's Edge still baffled him. Moana, Jamie, Hiro, Hiccup, Rapunzel. So many people he was now... close to. Who trusted him and seemed to genuinely like him and care about him without being his family.

"I'm happy for you, Mo", smiled Jack, hugging her. "Ice-cream for celebration?"

"More like hot chocolate. I just flew through the snow, boy", grunted Moana and shuddered.

Both of them laughed as they made their way to the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, yes, I completely fell in love with the dynamic of Moana and Jack. They are so much fun to write!
> 
> Next chapter, big step - Jack telling someone not-powered about his powers. Also more training. And Jack being suspicious about the whole Hiccup-Merida "break-up".


	12. Leap

_Chapter 12: Leap_

Training under Gothi with Moana and Rapunzel was amazing. It _really_ helped Jack regain his confidence and even his fondness for his powers. He remembered how much he had loved it, loved playing with his powers with his dad. How Mary used to jump around him excitedly.

"You two are ridiculous!", exclaimed Rapunzel and laughed delighted.

They were ice-skating, kind of. Moana had elevated the water from the pond and spread it out into a nearly bowl-like shape, trice the size of the actual pond. And Jack had frozen it in place. So right now, the three of them were chasing each other on skates, Jack clearly in the lead.

"This is amazing", declared Moana with a grin.

Jack flicked his wrist and the next moment, soft snow was coming down on them. Rapunzel's laughter increased as she started chasing the snow. Jack didn't remember ever having this much fun. He started to truly love this town, this island. He finally had a _home_. A pack and a place that made him feel _belonged_ , instead of like an outsider. All three of them were panting as they ended their little chase and came to collapse on the ground next to the pond, with their arms and legs spread out wide. Jack smiled as he turned to look at Rapunzel and Moana. At his _friends_.

"So, have you... told anyone else about your powers yet?", asked Moana curiously.

"I'm pretty sure Nick and Toothiana already know", whispered Jack. "But... no."

"You should. I mean. At least your friends", offered Rapunzel with a frown.

"You just don't wanna keep lying to Flynn", teased Moana knowingly.

"Well, yes, that too", agreed Rapunzel flustered. "But also Toothless and Merida. It's... I don't like lying to them. And I know they'll understand. And you have to start trusting people, Jack."

Jack just hummed in acknowledgment, not commenting any further. He knew they were probably right and that he needed to trust the pack, if he truly wanted to be a part of it. Which he did. He had come to terms with being here, living here, and he wanted it all. Wanted to be part of the pack.

/break\

"Yer a bloody pain in my rear, but damn yer talented, Frostbite."

Jack grinned, not looking at his teacher. Mister Bunnymund and Jack had a bit of a rocky relationship – granted, it hadn't quite helped that Jack had allowed himself to be dragged into a prank on Mister Bunnymund by the two sets of twins and Flynn. Aster took that very personal. Still, Jack was not kicked out of the art club, so small blessings. And despite the personal feelings between them, Aster always graded him fair and even complimented his art.

" _You really are very talented, Frost_ ", agreed Toothless with a grin.

Toothless was... less talented when it came to art, but he had fun with it and that was the most important thing about it, wasn't it? Jack grinned at his friend. Toothless had been very helpful and supportive. A good friend. And he was Hiccup's _best_ friend. Glancing past Toothless, Jack watched Hiccup. The alpha was fully concentrated on his own canvas and the painting he was working on. It was stupid that Jack's heart did this thing where it'd skip a beat just because of that. Sure, the painting was beautiful – a sunset and two black dragons flying into it – and Hiccup was handsome when he was being so concentrated and the reddish colors of the paint reflected some onto Hiccup, making him look softer. Urgh. Jack had _such_ a stupid crush on Hiccup by now.

"We're going to Rapunzel's on Saturday. Do you wanna come?", asked Jack.

" _...Sure_ ", confirmed Toothless, tilting his head curiously.

He knew very well that the others were hiding _something_. That occasionally, Hiccup would go with them, but it was mainly Rapunzel, Moana and Jack. He figured it had something to do with the secret that Hiccup had hinted at, the one where Jack had relied on Hiccup for support. Whatever it was, Toothless was more than curious and eager to learn it. Toothless was acutely aware just how important Jack was to Hiccup, so Toothless wanted to be someone Jack trusted.

/break\

Moana looked around curiously as they met up that Saturday. It wasn't just the three of them; Hiccup, Merida, Toothless and Flynn were there too. All invited by Jack. Jack, who was perched up on the table, looking rigid and nervous. Smiling encouragingly at her friend, Moana rested a hand on his thigh. He turned to her in surprise, slowly relaxing at her support.

"So... something tells me we're not just hanging out", joked Flynn, looking at Rapunzel. "What's this really about? You guys been hiding something...?"

"I...", started Jack and took a deep breath.

He was trying to tell himself that it would be okay, that they were his friends and that they would accept him, just like Moana, Rapunzel and Hiccup had accepted him. He tilted his head and turned to look at Hiccup, who had come up on his other side and taken his hand. Hiccup's hand was _large_ and warm and heavy in his. He traced the callouses curiously, years of metal-work having left their marks on Hiccup's hands. They felt curious and Jack couldn't help but wonder what that touch would feel like on different parts of his body. Eyes widening at that, he shook the thought off.

"I have powers", blurted Jack out, mainly to distract himself from his own traitorous thoughts.

"Already suspected something like this for weeks", nodded Flynn. "What kind of powers?"

Licking his lips, Jack lifted a hand and summoned snow until he held a snow-ball. Flynn made the most adorable squeaky sound at that and reached out for the snow in excitement.

"This will be _so good_ for so many pranks", declared Flynn.

" _It's pretty_ ", signed Toothless with a reassuring smile. " _Quite the... cool power_."

"Bad pun, buddy. Really awful pun", snorted Hiccup and rolled his eyes.

"It's neat", shrugged Merida, looking from Jack to Moana. "So that's why you've been spending so much time together. Training. Using your powers. Yeah?"

Moana nodded, a small smile on her lips when she saw how Merida realized that her jealousy had been unfunded, that it had never been about Moana and Jack being alpha and omega, but about them being elementals. Merida huffed and relaxed some, grabbing an apple from the bowl on the table while everyone got more comfortable. They settled in to listen to Jack's story and as weary as Jack was about sharing this, he knew it should be all out in the open. So he launched into another retelling of how his parents died and how he used to be treated for his powers.

By the end of it, he was pretty exhausted and emotionally drained, which wasn't much of a surprise.

"No training today, mh?", guessed Moana, gently brushing Jack's hair out of his face.

"I just wanna curl together", admitted Jack softly, feeling raw and vulnerable.

"Then that is precisely what we're gonna do!", declared Rapunzel in a pepper way.

She led the way over to the living room and started to throw all the blankets and pillows onto a heap in the center of the room. Catching on with what she was doing, Flynn gladly helped his girlfriend. When they were done, there was a comfortable, large space for cuddles left in the living room. Rapunzel let herself fall down on it and Merida was the first to join her. The two omegas beckoned Jack over to join them, which he reluctantly did. Omega-cuddles were nice, but he wasn't fully used to them just yet. Hiccup, Flynn, Toothless and Moana curled around them in a protective alpha-circle, quietly promising protection to the three omegas in the middle. Sighing contently, Jack buried his nose in the golden hair of Rapunzel, smelling the flowers in it. He startled a little when Merida pressed her own face between Jack's shoulder-blades, cuddling up to him.

"Sorry", whispered Merida so softly that only Jack could hear it. "I was pushing you away because I was being jealous of how easily you connected with Mo..."

Jack turned around to face her, leaning in to whisper back so only Merida could hear. "It's alright. I get it. You were jealous because the alpha you liked was spending time with another unmated omega. It's... normal I guess. I'm not mad about it."

"I—I...", started Merida to protest.

"You and Hiccup", drawled Jack, voice dropping even more. "You never were a couple to begin with, right? I'm right with that. It's been a scheme for your parents all along."

Merida glared and didn't answer. The grin on Jack's lips was rather smug. But it all made sense now. Jack had been wrecking his brains since Moana had dropped by and told him that Merida wanted to go on a date with her. Only then did it all slowly start to make sense, to fit together. And _this_ was the best solution he could think of. The thing that made sense. It had all been a play, from the get-go. That was why Merida and Hiccup didn't smell a lot like each other, didn't touch a lot or share a lot of PDA. They weren't a couple. They were just friends, playing their parts.

"Fine, yes, you're right", grumbled Merida irritated. "No one's supposed to know."

"Your secret is safe", assured Jack, brushing his head against hers.

"So is yours", countered Merida with a small smile.

/break\

Jack made a drawn-out sound close to a high-pitched howl as he leaped over fallen trees and rocks. He was chasing after Hiro, knowing Flynn hot on their tails. The other foxes – Ron and Jon Stabbington, as well as Tadashi – and the hounds, Jamie and Sophie, as well as some of the local wolves – GoGo, Pippa and Mary. Mary and Sophie were playing a game of tag of their own, while Jack was playing with Hiro, Jamie and Flynn. Ron and Jon constantly distracted Flynn, falling into a hunt of their own, while Tadashi and GoGo were on more of a couple-y chase.

The wild run was liberating. It was good. Having someone to actually run with, not just his parents and sister, but a proper pack. It was so freeing. He yelped as he was tackled from behind by Jamie. The two of them rolled around until Jamie had him pinned to the ground, sniffing him curiously for a long moment before jumping off and instead going after Hiro. Tilting his head, Jack rolled back onto his back, ears flat against his head and fur on his tail standing up some.

It was Tadashi, surprisingly enough, who stopped atop of him and licked his head briefly. The tall, red fox smiled and urged Jack on to continue their little chase.

Afterward, the group split up and parted ways. Ron and Jon left together with Flynn, Jamie and Sophie made their way home together with Pippa and Mary, who had asked beforehand if she could go and hang out with Sophie some more. Jack tilted his head, looking over at Tadashi and Hiro.

"You coming?", asked Tadashi with a friendly smile.

"Uhm...", drawled Jack unsure, shrugging carefully.

"Come on!", urged Hiro on, grabbing Jack's hand and pulling him along. "Mom always makes us amazing cake for after a pack-run. You gotta try it."

"You sure she wouldn't mind?", asked Jack, allowing the younger omega to pull him along.

"Why would she? You're attending her baking classes now. She totally adores you", rambled Hiro as they made their way toward the Lucky Cat Café. "You're her favorite student."

"I... am?", questioned Jack surprised.

"Yeah. You bake the prettiest cakes, she says", chuckled Tadashi amused. "Which seems pretty accurate. I saw the blue one, with the frost-patterns. Your cake-design is impressive."

"He's a real artist", grinned Hiro.

Jack blushed proudly, preening a little at the compliment. He was rather proud of his cakes – and they were actually a lot of fun to make. Signing up for Cass' baking classes had definitely been a good choice. He also liked Cass, the woman was amazing and very kind.

"Oh, you brought him. Good boys", praised Cass pleased as the three boys entered the house.

The rest of the Hamada-Haddock family was already gathered. Stoick sat at the head of the table, with Cass next to him. Heather, Dagur and Hiccup were sitting on one length of the table. Tadashi sat down opposite Dagur, with Hiro next to him and opposite Heather. That only left one empty seat. The one opposite Hiccup. Jack didn't even understand why, but he blushed a little as he took his seat. Something about eating with Hiccup's family – without any of their other friends – felt awfully intimate. He knew what it was, but it was nonsense. It wasn't like he was being courted, like he was Hiccup's _boyfriend_ or anything. He was just a friend, visiting another friend.

"Jack!", exclaimed Stoick with the jolly enthusiasm of an Alpha greeting a young member of his pack. "I'm glad you could make it. My mate makes the meanest chocolate cake."

"I... Thank you for inviting me", nodded Jack with a small smile.

"You can definitely use a few more pounds", stated Stoick.

"Father!", exclaimed Hiccup and Hiro at once.

"It's okay", laughed Jack. "I know I'm skinny. Guess it's the genes? I used to eat so much junk-food with dad all the time, but never really gained any weight..."

"Mh", grunted Stoick and nodded. "Well, strong genes are a good thing, I suppose."

"So... you just invited me to fatten me up?", joked Jack.

"No. I invited you to thank you", stated Stoick rather seriously.

"...Me? What for?", asked Jack surprised, while Heather started serving the cake.

"Hiro is a stubborn young man – don't protest – and he has never really made a lot of friends", sighed Stoick, slowly running his fingers through his beard. "He always just sticks with his siblings. But since you came around, he started being more social, instead of just holing up with his inventions. He never made an omega friend before and since meeting you, he has been spending more time with the Bennett boy and his group."

Hiro blushed at the mention of Jamie, hiding his face by eating more chocolate cake. Jack blinked slowly and looked at Hiro curiously. Okay, so he had known that his friendship was important to Hiro, that Hiro had never met another male omega before, but that Hiro really hadn't had friends...? From what Jack had seen, it seemed as though Hiro had been cherished and welcomed by Jamie's little pack for a while now. Or was it just that they all knew Jamie had a weakness for Hiro? Huh.

"Hiro is great", grinned Jack and ruffled the younger omega's hair. "I... I never really had another omega to be friends with _at all_ , much less a male omega to bond with."

"No omegas at all?", asked Cass appalled. "How small was your old pack?"

"Oh, it... it wasn't that small. The female omegas just didn't like me. Didn't like a _male_ omega", shrugged Jack, turning his attention to his food. "I... was always kind of an outcast."

Stoick and Cass exchanged a concerned look at that, but in the end, it was Dagur who spoke up. "I get that. Believe me. Before my sis and I came here, were adopted, I've been the odd one out too."

"I hope things are different for you here", offered Tadashi gently.

"Oh yeah, they are", confirmed Jack, nodding slowly. "It... Everyone is very welcoming. I never... had that many friends, not even before presenting. Your sons especially... Hiro and Hiccup have been really helpful and nice to me, showing me around and introducing me to everyone."

Hiccup preened at that. He loved that he had indeed been able to help Jack. It was also very nice to hear Stoick appreciating Jack. That was good. Stoick was not easily impressed – and Hiccup's future mate _had_ to impress Stoick. That was a must-happen.

"This is really great, Cass", commented Jack as he stuffed his face.

"We'll cover this one this week", grinned Cass. "You're a quick study, by the end you'll be able to make this cake just as well as I do and you'll probably make it prettier."

There was a teasing twinkle in Cass' eyes, one that made Jack grin back. It was Heather who sighed.

"Jack's cakes are really pretty", agreed Heather and got her phone out to show their father some pictures of what Jack had made during classes. "See? He's a real artist with the cakes."

"Not just with cakes", pointed Hiccup out.

"That's right. The pretty art in the café", nodded Stoick. "You helped Rapunzel and Hiccup with it."

"It was fun", shrugged Jack with a grin.

Hiccup smiled as he watched. Everyone seemed to really take to Jack, which was all Hiccup had wanted. After the cake was all gone, Hiccup actually gathered the courage to ask Jack if he wanted to watch a movie before going home. Obviously did all of his siblings decide to tag along too at that. But thankfully enough did Hiccup at the very least get the seat right next to Jack. Heather sat down on Hiccup's other side, while Hiro curled against Jack's free side. With four people, the couch was pretty crowded, leaving Jack pressed up against him. Tadashi and Dagur took the single seats respectively. And as Hiro pressed play on _Legend of the Guardians_ , Hiccup found himself acutely aware of Jack's presence. His warmth, his scent. So close.

"Those owls are awesome", hummed Jack sleepily. "And gorgeous..."

He was leaning more and more into Hiccup, the longer the movie continued. Hiro was half sprawled out on top of Jack, using him as a pillow, just like Jack was using Hiccup as a pillow. The foxes were tired after today's pack-run – which was why they had eaten heavy food to begin with; it was the best thing after a pack-flight or a pack-run. And then, just lazying about or napping. Just that Hiccup hadn't expected to end up as Jack's pillow. Carefully did Hiccup lower his own head, burying his nose in the snow-white, soft hair. He inhaled deeply. The scent of snow and marshmallows was so fresh and sweet and _nice_. Smiling to himself, Hiccup wrapped one arm around Jack, pulling him closer. The omega hummed contently and curled against him even more.

"Your family is great", whispered Jack into Hiccup's ear.

"Yeah, they are", confirmed Hiccup fondly.

He turned to look at Tadashi gratefully. His big brother was pretty amazing. It had been his idea to suggest to Stoick that Jack could come home with them after the pack-run. Stoick had liked the idea, having heard so much about Jack from Cass, Hiccup and Hiro at that point. And apparently did Stoick approve of Jack. Which was not the easiest task at hand.

"I like the baking classes", mused Jack absentmindedly. "Cass is a great teacher. And Nick has been really enjoying all the baked goods I bring home now. Which... Toothiana is not the biggest fan of, but Nick and Mary have totally outvoted her on that."

Hiccup laughed at that. It figured that the local dentist was not a fan of all the sweet goods. But Nick had always been a sweet-tooth. Hiccup sighed and rested his cheek against Jack's hair. It was soft and comfortable. Jack's head fit perfectly under his own. Jack fit perfectly against his side.

"Hiro", hummed Jack, turning to the younger omega in his arms.

"Mh...?", yawned Hiro, as exhausted from the pack-run.

"I was thinking that maybe, this weekend, we could... go on a camping trip. Caleb and Claude have been arguing about doing something more fun for a while now and I figured, I mean, we could... all go on a camping trip together? You, me, Jamie, Cupcake, Pippa, Monty, Caleb and Claude? On one of the small islands? I've been to a few with Hiccup and the others now and some seem like fun to explore further. Together. Hunting together and all. What do you think?"

Hiro blinked doe-eyed up at Jack, trying to process. What his dad had said earlier was true. Hiro was really not used to spending a lot of time with _friends_. And that he now befriended Jamie Bennett of all people and his pack... That he had befriended Jack. But the thought of going on a camping trip with them? Bonfires and swimming and all. It was late spring by now and temperatures were warm enough to actually swim. To maybe see Jamie shirtless. Hiro blushed.

"That's an awesome idea", agreed Hiro eagerly. "And you'll really come too?"

"Yep", confirmed Jack with a broad grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, Jack is going to tell Hiro, Jamie and their friends the truth. And our dear Hiccup has to face a certain other truth in the face of his father~


	13. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

_Chapter 13: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs_

"And you'll be fine?", asked Cass concerned, cupping Hiro's face.

Hiro blushed, annoyed and embarrassed. Cupcake, Caleb and Claude were snickering behind him. "Yes, mom. I promise I'll be fine. Jack promised I'll be fine. Believe him?"

Cass heaved a sigh and locked eyes with Jack. "Jack's only two years older than you too."

"Cass. Let the boy go", laughed Stoick, resting a heavy hand on his wife's shoulder. "It's time he goes on adventures too. I trust Jack to keep an eye on our boy."

"Will do, Alpha", promised Jack with a smile. "Now come and let's go before Mo leaves us."

The Haddock-Hamadas waved as Jack and Hiro hurried onto Moana's ship. She had agreed to take their group to the island three islands over. Moana grinned and waved them over.

"I can't believe we're doing this!", exclaimed Monty excitedly. "I have read _all_ the notes Hiccup made on that island and the dragons on it. This will be so exciting!"

"I know!", agreed Jamie with a broad grin, showing off his own text-book of dragons.

"Those two are the future Hiccup and Fishlegs", drawled Moana playfully.

"Yeah. I can see that", grinned Jack amused. "Thanks for doing this, Mo."

"Oh, no problems. I got nothing else to do. Bring you over, pick you up on Sunday", shrugged Moana with a smile. "I'm just glad you're leaving the house for something else than training again. It's... been a while for you. Started to get worried."

Jack rolled his eyes and nudged her, though he smiled a little. He was grateful to have her care for him like that. Honestly, he really never had a friend like Moana before and he was incredibly grateful. Turning around, Jack watched the others. Caleb and Claude were up on the crow's nest, while Jamie and Monty sat together and talked about all the things they wanted to explore. Cupcake stood behind the two boys, complaining that she wanted more than just science stuff. Which, of course, there would be a lot of fun – Jack was going to make sure of that. Hiro sat with Pippa, talking softly about a movie that was soon to hit theaters and that both couldn't wait to see. Jack was pretty optimistic that the weekend was going to be awesome.

/break\

"This is nice. We haven't done this in a while", stated Astrid with a grin.

"Yeah. Hics is _so_ busy pining for Jack that he has no time for anyone anymore", agreed Fishlegs.

Fishlegs, Astrid, Hiccup and their friend Mala sat on the bleachers, watching the cheerleaders and the football team train. They used to do this every Friday night together, gossiping and just connecting. After all, there wasn't a lot going on on this island so they had to work with what they had. Seeing the jocks postering for the cheerleaders and the cheerleaders show them who was more serious, it was always entertaining. Atalia, the captain of the cheerleaders – the Wing Maidens, as they called themselves – always asked too much of her girls and they _always_ delivered. Heather was on the cheerleading team and that alone was reason enough for Fishlegs to be here, to stare dreamily at his girlfriend and cheer her own. Same went for Astrid, because her boyfriend Eret was on the football team. While Astrid could probably kick everybody's butt down there, she had never been too interested in football so she left it to him. Snotlout and Dagur were also on the football team. Part of the entertainment for Astrid was to see Snotlout fall on his ass every time he was distracted by his girlfriend Minden, one of the Wing Maidens. Even after all these years, making fun of Snotlout was something that would just never grow old for Astrid, really.

"Why is it that you haven't joined us lately, Hiccup?", asked Mala curiously.

Mala was older than them, a senior and she was Dagur's fiance. Hiccup liked her a lot. He had actually befriended her first – when Mala and Dagur had first met, they had been at odds, to put it mildly. It had been the combined efforts of Hiccup, Fishlegs, Heather and their friends to make Dagur and Mala get along. And when they did, they _really_ did. They might just be the sappiest, cutest couple in all of Berk, really. The petnames, the holdings hands and nose-kisses and missing each other as soon as they didn't share a single class. Literally no one had been surprised when, after a year of dating, Dagur had proposed to Mala and the two started to plan their big wedding as soon as they graduated high school. Mala was an alpha herself, a strong-willed fighter and one with true leadership qualities. Stoick had been more than pleased with this match for his second oldest.

Sometimes, Hiccup wished all his siblings were his biological siblings. Tadashi the beta with his beta girlfriend GoGo. Dagur the alpha with his alpha fiance Mala. They were both older than him and they had both met good choices. Hiccup however, he was the only one carrying the _blood_ of the Haddocks. He was the one who would have to become Alpha, who _had_ to make the best choice.

"Hiccup has a giant crush on Jack Overland", supplied Astrid casually as Mala sat down.

"Oh. The pretty young omega?", asked Mala surprised, looking at Hiccup. "I heard from Dagur that you and Merida broke it off, but I didn't expect you to move on so quickly."

"Really? _Dagur_ knows?", asked Hiccup frustrated. "We've been doing it low-key..."

"Well. You do know your brother is overly invested in your love-life", shrugged Astrid.

"That's true", agreed Fishlegs. "And you two are really bad at being low-key."

"That is also true", confirmed Mala amused. "You should consider telling your father about it, if more and more people know about it. You wouldn't want to overwhelm him too much by waiting too long, do you? Your father is a wise man and good leader. He'll understand."

"This is different though", sighed Hiccup nervously. "I mean... what if... This is about the future of our pack. What if I make the wrong decision, in his eyes...?"

"This isn't about the pack though", argued Mala, one eyebrow cocked. "It's about love."

"Oh please, don't get sappy on us", groaned Astrid.

"Thank you", huffed Mala, torn between offended and amused. "No, I'm not talking about me and Dagur. I'm actually talking about Stoick and Cass." There was a pause and Fishlegs, Astrid and Hiccup all looked at her expectantly. "Stoick made a political decision when he married your mother, Hiccup. He learned to love her, but then he lost her. And then he found love again, even though I highly doubt he thought he ever would find another mate again. Your father knows love and he knows the importance of love. If what you feel for Jack is true, then your father will understand, Hiccup. You have to trust him on that."

Hiccup sighed softly, looking at her. "You know, I'm really glad you'll be my sister-in-law."

Mala laughed at that and bumped shoulders with him. "So am I."

"Now, can we continue talking about how absolutely amazing _my_ girlfriend is?", asked Fishlegs.

"Oh, she really is", agreed Astrid, watching Heather make a back-flip. "They're so gonna win that competition next month, aren't they? It's amazing what they can do."

"Football team's not doing too shabby either though", noted Hiccup, looking at Eret and Dagur making a perfect play to get a point. "They've been training real hard."

"They have", sighed Astrid and Mala, somewhere between proud and frustrated.

Both Eret and Dagur had canceled a lot of dates for the sake of longer and extra training. At least it seemingly was paying off. Hiccup felt himself growing excited at the prospect of the game. Those were some of the only occasions that something interesting _did_ happen on Berk. Other teams, from other islands and from the coast, coming over for games. Or them going out for an away game.

"If you were so preoccupied with Jack, how come you're here now?", asked Mala after a beat.

"Jack's away for the weekend", sighed Hiccup with a small pout.

/break\

They had made camp – four double-tents set in a square around their camp-fire. Caleb and Claude were sharing a tent, so were Cupcake and Pippa, as well as Jamie and Monty – and Jack got to share with Hiro. The eight of them perfectly paired off for this. The twins had gone fishing for dinner earlier. While the group had brought a pot and a pan and some spices, they had plans on hunting and fishing for their food this weekend. A nice, wild weekend. Jack really enjoyed those trips with Rapunzel, Flynn, Merida, Moana and Hiccup, he wanted for his other friends to enjoy this kind of bonding trip too. He knew they were itching to go out there and explore just as much.

"Story time", declared Monty excitedly as they all sat in a circle around the fire.

"And what about?", asked Jack amused, munching on his fish.

"Horror stories? I don't know", shrugged Monty thoughtfully. "Never done this before."

"The greatest horror story I know already happened last week", drawled Caleb.

"History exam with Mister Pitchiner", concluded Claude, fist-bumping his brother.

Everyone at the camp-side shuddered at that, only Jack laughed loudly. Apparently, Pitch was the teacher who _always_ managed to drag his favorite thing – the Dark Ages – into whatever he was talking about. Noticing that Hiro next to him was shuddering a little, Jack wanted to grab his hoodie and pull it off to hand it over, but before he even had a chance to, Jamie had already shed his own jacket and placed it on Hiro's shoulders with a flush. Hiro's face was spotting a matching blush.

"T—Thanks, Jamie", said Hiro with a small smile, burying himself in the jacket.

"No problem. It's... colder than anticipated, huh", grinned Jamie.

Jack grinned amused. Those two were absolutely adorable. Maybe that was the other reason why Jack had suggested this little trip. Jamie and Hiro sure could use the push.

"So... is it true that you guys weren't friends before I came around?", asked Jack carefully.

"We tried", offered Pippa, motioning vaguely at Hiro.

"He's always been more clever than anyone else in any class", shrugged Caleb with a frown.

"...Many made fun of me for being a wise-ass. And I was used to that from San Fransokyo", admitted Hiro, pulling his legs up against his chest. "I always just... followed Tadashi around. And preferred to be with his friends, instead of... trying to befriend classmates or anything."

"But you've been living here for... eight years, right?", asked Jack with a frown. "Eight years and you... never made friends? You never had _any_ friends...?"

"I _do_ have friends", huffed Hiro with a glare. "...They're just... Tadashi's friends first. But yeah, over the years, I always just... went along to the shop with them and I befriended Honey and GoGo and Wasabi and Fred. They speak my language. Science."

"So... you really never had friends your own age before?", asked Cupcake with a frown.

"I do!", protested Hiro with a glare. "My best friend _is_ our age!"

"Oh. You... could have invited them along", offered Jamie curiously. "I'd like to meet them. You don't always have to tag along with us _alone_. You could have-"

"He lives in Mexico", grumbled Hiro, glare intensifying. "His name's Miguel and he's Honey's younger cousin. Couple years ago, Honey's parents invited her whole family over to get to know Berk and I met Miguel that day. We hit it off and we've been online friends since then."

"Well, I mean, long-distance is better than nothing?", offered Monty, straightening his glasses.

Hiro grumbled and folded in on himself, at least until Jamie placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. You... made friends _now_. And we _are_ your friends."

He smiled at Hiro and Hiro looked at the young alpha with large eyes and red cheeks. Jack grinned pleased before stretching and yawning. It was getting pretty late and it's been long dark.

"Time for bed", announced Jack, ruffling his hair.

"Ye—eah. I wanted to see the sunrise tomorrow. Better turn in too", agreed Pippa.

Slowly, one by one, the group split up and went ahead to their respective tents. Jack and Hiro got changed and crawled into their sleeping bags, though amusingly enough Hiro bundled Jamie's jacket up and used it as a pillow, burying his nose in it with a small smile.

"So... you and Jamie...", drawled Jack with a cheeky grin, one arm folded under his head as he was turned onto his side to look at Hiro, who immediately blushed again.

"So... you and _my brother_ ", countered Hiro after a moment, glaring.

Jack flushed to match Hiro, blinking surprised. It made Hiro laugh delighted and scoot closer.

"W—What do you mean?", asked Jack with a frown.

"After all those _years_ , Hics and Merry finally stop pretending to be in a relationship, now that you come to town and start spending _so much_ time with Hiccup", pointed Hiro out, both eyebrows raised and a shit-eating grin on his face. "Come o—on. I know you have something to do with it."

"No. Well, yes, but not like that", assured Jack, laughing amused – for a moment there, he had thought that Hiro knew something Jack didn't. " _Merida_ is in love with Moana. And because Mo has been spending so much time with me, Merida got jealous. So, Merida and Hiccup broke it off."

"And Hics spending so much time with you...?", frowned Hiro suspiciously.

Licking his lips slowly, Jack lifted a hand and let snowflakes dance around it. "I have... powers. And he... knows about them. He _helped_ me."

"Wait. That day, on the lake, when Hiccup broken in", whispered Hiro in disbelief, eyes wide.

Jack shrugged and tucked his hand back under his head. "Yeah. That's how he learned. And... Yeah. There's other stuff, about my powers, but I wanted to tell you all tomorrow."

"Oh. So that's why we're on this trip? Because you wanted to tell us about your powers?", concluded Hiro, staring at Jack. "Because you're... nervous about it?"

"I have... not made good experiences with that kinda thing", shrugged Jack.

Next moment and Hiro was crawling out of his own sleeping back and into Jack's, hugging him tightly and scent-marking him. The younger omega had a very soothing effect on Jack. Pure instincts, but also something else. Something about Hiro reminded him so much of Mary. A younger sibling, to love and protect. Smiling softly, Jack wrapped his arms around Hiro.

"It'll be fine", hummed Hiro softly. "If they accepted me, the biggest nerd and weirdo, they'll accept you for being an elemental, Jack."

"...Thanks", whispered Jack back, still smiling.

They fell asleep like that, wrapped up in each other's arms, soothing each other.

/break\

Saturday family dinner was a little quieter with Hiro gone. Heather was animatedly talking about her upcoming competition and whenever Dagur got to put a word in, he mentioned the next game. Tadashi just smiled proudly at both his siblings and kept encouraging them. Hiccup kept particularly quiet, just watching his siblings interact, Cass and Stoick asking questions and praising whenever Dagur and Heather paused long enough for input.

"Hiccup, you're... awfully quiet", observed Tadashi once both his other siblings were done.

"That's true", grunted Stoick with a frown. "What's wrong, son?"

"I...", started Hiccup – and heck, Mala was right, if he delayed this any further then things would only get more and more awkward. "Merida and I broke things off."

"You... what?", asked Cass surprised, blinking slowly.

"I don't understand", admitted Stoick, looking from Hiccup to Cass.

"I... We've been drifting apart a lot over the past... year or two", sighed Hiccup and straightened his back. "When we agreed to court, we thought... we could work. But that was before we even properly presented. And... I don't know. Hormones and being teenagers and developing taste. I love her, I do, but not in a romantic way. We're good friends, but... not _in love_. And we _tried_. Tried to see each other like that, but... we just don't and... and there's... There is no point in us trying to force feelings where there will never _be_ any feelings. So we broke it off, while we're still in high school and could still find... actually suitable... mates."

There was a long stretch of silence and Tadashi, Dagur and Heather shuffled around awkwardly. Cass and Stoick exchanged a lot of looks and facial expressions that most likely translated to a whole conversation. Hiccup sank lower and lower on his chair.

"Okay", nodded Stoick after a long moment.

"Okay?", echoed Hiccup surprised, blinking a couple of times.

"Well, son, I had always _hoped_ you and Merida would make a perfect match. If that is not the case, I trust your judgment to find a suitable mate", replied Stoick, covering Cass' hand with his own. "We Haddock men have _impeccable_ taste, so I will trust your taste."

Hiccup blinked slowly. Well, that had been far easier than anticipated.

/break\

Jack grinned pleased as he stretched out. They were all laying on blankets, gazing at the stars. They had spent all day swimming and trying to hunt down dragons for Monty and Jamie to study, so everyone was understandably exhausted and ready to rest.

"There...", started Jack unsure, reaching out for Hiro's hand. "There's something I wanted to show you guys, you know. I, uh... I have powers. Control over... ice. And snow."

While Hiro squeezed his hand, Jack used his free hand to make it snow. The others gasped in awe. Jamie stuck his tongue out, catching a snowflake on his tongue. Caleb and Claude eagerly sat up to gather the falling snow in balls and then throw them at each other.

"Snowball fight!", exclaimed Pippa excitedly, as all of them jumped up.

Jack blinked slowly and then he cracked a smile as Jamie accidentally hit Cupcake on the back of her head and then there was an all-out snowball _brawl_ going on. How... did this place happen? No. No, slowly Jack started to wonder – how did _his home_ happen? With every single person who just embraced him and accepted him, he started to believe that _maybe_ being accepted was... actually the norm and maybe being shunned for his powers was _not_.

"Ja—ack!", called Jamie out with laughter. "Come on. Join us."

Gathering snow with both hands, he breathed onto it to stabilize it and then he threw it – hitting Jamie square in the face. The boy started laughing and the chase continued for an entire out. Jack used his powers to create an ice-slid, making them all slide down with roaring laughter. By the end of it, they were all exhausted, panting and with red cheeks as they landed in a heap of people.

"This was _awesome_!", exclaimed Pippa excitedly.

"Yeah! Why didn't you tell us sooner?", wanted Monty to know curiously.

"...Where... I'm from...", started Jack. "They believed powers to be a curse. I've always been shunned for them. That's... _my_ reason for not trying to make friends when I first came here, because I was prepared for... for everyone to learn about my powers and then... drop me."

"Oh. Oh, that's awful", stated Jamie with a frown and came to hug Jack. "No. No, definitely not. You're awesome and our friend and your powers are _really cool_."

"Agreed to everything but the pun", grunted Cupcake, ruffling Jack's hair.

"So, can you like... freeze the ocean?", asked Caleb after a beat. "Can we do that tomorrow?"

"I... never tried it. But I could probably freeze... a path into it", frowned Jack thoughtfully.

"Awesome!", exclaimed Claude with a grin. "This is really insane, Jack."

"It is", agreed Monty, smiling at Jack. "How about we turn in for the night?"

"Yeah, time for Snow White here to go to bed", teased Hiro, nudging Jack.

"What does that make you guys? The seven dwarves?", countered Jack, making the others laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooh you're gonna be excited for next chapter - because next chapter, they're actually finally getting together! :O


	14. Beauty and the Beast(s)

_Chapter 14: Beauty and the Beast(s)_

"I know you will win this game, honey", stated Mala with utter conviction.

She smiled as she grasped Dagur and pulled him into a kiss. The captain of the football team, the Berserkers, looked proud and grinned as they parted. The look on his face could only be described as dopey when Mala left to head to the bleachers. The big game was going to start in an hour and as always, his beautiful, stunning and brilliant fiance came to wish him good luck.

"I'll just go and... uh... wish Minden good luck with her performance", drawled Snotlout.

"Don't be too long, Snotcheek", warned Dagur before returning to the lockers.

Snotlout grinned and ran out toward where the cheerleaders were already warming up. Atalia gave him a stern look, knowing he liked to distract Minden from training – something she did not need this close to a performance. Minden smiled as she turned toward her boyfriend.

"He—ey. Have the others already been around?", asked Snotlout with a grin.

He grabbed Minden's hands, Minden leaning up to peck his lips. "Tuffnut's been getting comfortable on the bleachers. He came with Ruffnut. Heather says her family will come later."

Snotlout hummed and kissed her again. "You gonna rock this today, right?"

"Right", grinned Minden. "Know all the steps. Still a bit nervous, but I'll be good."

"That's my girl", declared Snotlout proudly. "Minden, Minden, oi, oi, oi!"

Minden giggled a little and shook her head. Atalia's glare intensified and Minden motioned for her boyfriend to leave again, before the captain of the cheerleaders was going to roast him alive. Noticing, Snotlout gulped and ran off back toward the lockers. Both Stabbingtons gave him dirty glares at that. He just shrugged with a broad grin. After all his years of being absolutely shut down by any female, he had _finally_ found a girl who not just fell for his charms but genuinely made him feel _good_. Feel like a better _person_ – something Snotlout had not expected to be possible.

"You two just gotta find someone for yourself", shrugged Snotlout pointedly.

Ron and Jon just glared even harder at him, even making Snotlout nervous at that.

/break\

"I didn't expect you to be excited about football", admitted Nick surprised.

He turned from Jack toward Toothiana, who just smiled and shrugged. "I think it's nice that we're doing something together as a family. It was due time for us to have a family outing together."

"Uhu. But why football?", asked Mary, tugging on her brother's hand.

"Dunno. Everyone seems to go", shrugged Jack. "I figured... we should too. Hiccup invited me."

"Ah. It's nice you've befriended the son of the Alpha", smiled Nick pleased.

Jack shrugged with a small smile. He paused when he saw Hiccup and his family on the bleachers. Well, the parts of the family not participating on the field. When spotting him, both Hiccup and Hiro waved at him enthusiastically. The small smile grew into a full-blossomed one as he jogged up toward them. The Waialikis, DunBrochs and Gothels were also sitting close by, Tui Waialiki engaged in conversation with Elinor DunBroch. Toothiana gladly sat down next to Sina Waialiki and the two women instantly started chatting too. Nick found a seat next to Fergus DunBroch. Jack all the while sat with his friends – Rapunzel, Merida, Moana, Hiccup and Toothless. Hiro sat in the row below them, together with Jamie and the others. A grin split Jack's face when he saw Flynn with the football team, jumping around and waving wildly to get Rapunzel's attention.

"Didn't think you'd come", admitted Moana curiously. "Thought you said you don't like sports?"

"I don't like _doing_ sports. Watching... it's okay", shrugged Jack with a grin.

Truth was he had absolutely no interest in sports, but Hiccup had asked him earlier this week with the large, hopeful eyes if he'd come too and suddenly, sports sounded interesting. So why not sit through a football game. He was with his friends and with his family, so that was nice. Mary went to sit another row below Hiro and the others, where Jamie's little sister Sophie and Merida's three younger brothers sat together with the mini Snotlout. Gustav. Jack knew that. Gustav, who kept following Snotlout around and tried real hard to be Snotlout. Which, Jack guessed, wasn't the worst goal – Snotlout was the half-back of the football team, he was a physically strong alpha with personal connections to the future Alpha and judging by the friends he had, he couldn't be a bad guy, not to mention his very lovely girlfriend Minden.

Jack grinned as he settled in for his first ever football game to watch. Afterward, there would be pizza – or so he had been promised by Hiccup. Apparently, they went for pizza, either to celebrate that Flynn and the team had won, _or_ to console Flynn about the loss. Either way; pizza.

/break\

Jack grinned happily as he sat with his friends. The Berserkers had won the game, as expected.

The others were all paired up. Heather sat between Honey and Fishlegs, opposite Hiccup, Toothless and Jack. Snotlout was snogging Minden, Astrid and Eret had excused themselves and had been gone for a make-out session for about twenty minutes now, and Tuffnut and Ruffnut sat with them too. Rapunzel, Flynn, Merida and Moana were in the booth right behind Jack's.

"I. Am. So. Proud", giggled Rapunzel, pecking Flynn's cheek with each word.

Flynn looked _so_ ridiculously proud, it was adorable. Jack grinned amused by that.

"Punzel, honey, please, I want another milkshake", laughed Flynn, trying to get up.

Rolling his eyes, Jack got up. "I'll get another milkshake. Who else wants one?"

"Me!", chorused Flynn, Moana and Heather.

Grinning amused, Jack made his way to the counter. In front of him were Dagur, Mala and the Stabbingtons, getting their stuff to-go. When it was Jack's turn to order, Dagur and Mala already left but the Stabbingtons kept lingering around. The brothers kept staring at him and when Jack had to pay, Jon put down the money for him, surprising Jack a little.

"Uhm...", started Jack slowly.

"What are you doing tomorrow night?", asked Ron.

"Uhm...", said Jack once more, blinking slowly. "What?"

"A date", grunted Jon. "My brother and I would like to take you out on a date."

"...Both of you? What? Why? Me?", asked Jack, still blinking.

"You're pretty", shrugged Ron, one eyebrow cocked. "Jon and I are competitive, so we figured we both take you out and you choose after the date who's better?"

"Uhm", muttered Jack for a third time. "I..."

"Here, have our number. Think about it and call us", chuckled Jon amused. "You _are_ cute."

Blinking slowly, Jack took the piece of paper with the number on it and walked back to the table. Heather frowned confused as Jack sat down without any milkshakes. It was Snotlout who got up with a huff to go and fetch the milkshakes Jack had left at the counter.

"Jack?", asked Heather confused.

"Uhm... Oh, I need to stop saying that", sighed Jack and shook his head. "The Stabbingtons just asked me out on a _date_. _Both_ of them. I'm trying to compute."

"A date?", asked Minden surprised. "Both?"

"Ye—eah", nodded Jack, frown deepening. "I mean... Huh."

"You look completely overwhelmed by the concept, boy", laughed Moana amused.

"Yeah. Like, have you never been on a date, or what?", asked Snotlout, putting the milkshakes down in front of everyone.

"Never", shrugged Jack, causing the others to look at him in surprise.

"Really? Never?", asked Rapunzel surprised, hopping up to look at Jack.

"Guys. I _told_ you that male omegas were treated as outcasts. Who do you think would have dated me?", asked Jack, both eyebrows raised. "And I'm only sixteen so not much time to date."

"Huh. Wow", grunted Moana, blinking slowly.

"Not the Stabbingtons", stated Astrid firmly as she and Eret sat down again.

"Excuse me?", asked Jack confused.

"You can do a hundred times better. Even on our small, tiny island", grunted Astrid and shook her head. "Those two are future criminals and they are _not good_. You can do better."

Jack blinked a couple of time, not having expected Astrid to think that way, considering the two weren't that close. Though Jack knew that Astrid was really close to Heather and Hiccup.

"It's not like there are that many singles of our age group", pointed Jack out.

"Point taken", agreed Heather and tilted her head. "But you shouldn't be the kind of person to just settle out of necessity, you know. Never."

"It's not like I want to _marry_ either of them", countered Jack, one eyebrow raised. "I just... want to know what it feels like to be taken out on a date by an alpha. Being spoiled and stuff."

"Okay... that's a good argument", conceded Eret with a frown.

"See!", huffed Jack with a pout.

"I'm still sure you could do better", stated Astrid and shook her head.

Jack huffed and sank down on his seat, sipping his milkshake. It was just so... frustrating. He was now finally at a good place, with good people. But he was _friends_ with them all. The only singles he knew were his friends and it would be awkward or weird to date them. His eyes wandered over to Hiccup who was laughing at something Toothless had signed. No. No. He was so not developing a _crush_ or anything on _Hiccup_ of all people. He was the son of the Alpha and Jack's friend, after all.

/break\

"This was _the_ best idea ever", stated Rapunzel delighted as she placed sugar-flowers on her cake.

Jack next to her grinned amused, adding decorations to his own cake. Baking classes with Cass were absolute fun. Cass was a great teacher and she was a wonderful person.

"Oh, you're both so talented", sighed Cass with large eyes. "Like spring and winter."

Rapunzel's cake was a three story one, with floral patterns decorating it. Jack's cake however was decorated with snowflakes of sugar and marshmallow snowmen. It was super cute. Rapunzel and Jack grinned and turned toward each other, bumping fists at that.

"So—o", drawled Rapunzel after a moment.

"Yeah?", asked Jack confused.

"Yesterday, the... Stabbingtons. Did you think on it?", asked Rapunzel curiously.

"I don't... know", shrugged Jack and heaved a sigh.

"Look, Cass would totally take you out for a date. She's a female alpha. And Flynn's friend Lance, also an alpha, said he'd take you out for dinner", offered Rapunzel with a grin. "The Stabbingtons are not your only choices. Our shared group of friends aren't all the people there are, you know. I think Nadia from the Wing Maidens might have a crush on you too."

"...Oh", grunted Jack, blinking slowly. "Huh."

"There are plenty of people at our high school and you're a catch", stated Rapunzel.

"I'm a what?", asked Jack confused.

"You're... an omega. And a really pretty one at that", pointed Rapunzel out. "In _most_ places, that is worth a lot. I mean, alphas want omegas. Especially the pretty ones. That's the shallow truth. You don't live where you came from anymore, Jack."

"I'm still trying to get used to _that_ ", sighed Jack and sat down. "It's... weird. For me."

"I know", whispered Rapunzel gently, resting a hand on Jack's upper arm. "Things are different now. You're an omega and here, that is not something _bad_."

Jack frowned and dipped a finger into the whipped cream, licking it off slowly. "Let's see..."

"Take your time. There is no rush", said Rapunzel with a smile. "You have time. Wait until you meet someone who's actually... worth your time."

/break\

Toothless grinned as he bumped shoulders with Hiccup. The two of them had been playing video-games all Saturday, eating pizza they had ordered earlier. By now cold, but still good. In between, they had studied _a little bit_ , but in the end two boys left unsupervised with a video-game...? That was not going to happen. And after yesterday, Hiccup _really_ needed a day with his best bud.

" _Okay. Last game, I won. Time for you to go_ ", declared Toothless.

"...What?", asked Hiccup confused, putting his controller down.

" _Baking class is about to end and you're gonna take Jack out_ ", stated Toothless.

"I... am... what?", grunted Hiccup, blinking slowly.

" _Jack now has other suitors. So you have to do something, Hics_ ", signed Toothless with a sigh. " _Come on. Go and talk to him. Even if you do not ask him out. Just tell him something, tell him you like him or anything. Like, all the things Astrid said yesterday. That should have been your lines_."

"...You really think so?", asked Hiccup with a frown.

" _Oh my god, yes. Damn it, Hiccup. Yes. You like him. A lot. You told your father two weeks ago that you and Merida broke up with each other and he was fine with it. It's time for you to get your shit together and finally tell Jack how you feel about him. He's been living in Berk for five months now. It's nearly Valentine's Day and you know how nice it'd be if you actually had a boyfriend? Like, someone you actually care about_ ", signed Toothless with a stern, serious look. " _You like him. And I am so not going to console you when you're crying about Jack being on a date with someone else. That is so where I draw the line, buddy._ "

"Okay", huffed Hiccup flustered, slowly getting up.

Toothless was right. This was Hiccup's window of opportunity and if he was going to waste it and watch Jack dating someone else, it would really only be his own fault. He _hated_ that idea a lot. No, he was going to be the Alpha. And as the future Alpha, he really should grow a backbone. Taking a deep breath, Hiccup left his room and went downstairs, where the baking class was currently packing up. Rapunzel and Jack were laughing and joking with each other, short of leaving the café.

"Jack!", called Hiccup out, effectively stopping them.

"...Hiccup?", asked Jack confused. "Hey. What's up?"

Hiccup opened and closed his mouth a couple of times. "Uhm. What are you doing?"

"Heading home?", offered Jack, one eyebrow raised.

"Are you... hungry, maybe?", asked Hiccup nervously.

"Actually, yeah", hummed Jack, tilting his head. "It's my turn to cook tonight."

"Okay. Great. I'll bring you home. Come", nodded Hiccup eagerly, grabbing Jack's hand.

"Have fu—un!", called Rapunzel after them, giggling.

Jack could just blink slowly as he was being dragged through town. Hiccup was somehow behaving really weird. Even by Hiccup's standard. Frowning curiously, Jack kept glancing at Hiccup, who stayed weirdly quiet as they made their way up the mountain.

"Is... something wrong, Hiccup?", asked Jack as he unlocked the door. "I mean. I don't... mind you coming over. But this is a little... sudden. And you seem jittery, you know?"

"Well, I wanted to talk to you", shrugged Hiccup, ruffling his own hair.

"Okay. Cool. What about?", asked Jack a bit amused.

"You... never told me how it went when you told Jamie and the others. I mean, I heard it all from Hiro, who was fawning and gushing about it for _days_ by the way", started Hiccup slowly. "It's so cute. Somehow, you became even more of a role-model to him now."

"Ye—eah", laughed Jack as he went toward the kitchen. "So, you going to help me cook then, if you already invite yourself over for dinner...?"

"Right. Of course. I mean...", nodded Hiccup with a nervous blush.

Jack chuckled fondly as he started to get everything out for dinner. "It was... good. They took it as well as the others. I'm really starting to believe that... this... place is not just good, but normal. Like, being treated well is the norm. And I start to like it. I'm starting to accept it."

"That's... good", smiled Hiccup pleased.

"Here. Cut up the red peppers. I'm gonna cut the beef", grinned Jack, handing out knives and boards. "We're gonna make goulash today."

"That sounds nice", nodded Hiccup and started cutting the red peppers.

"Now. Tell me what you actually wanted to talk about", prompted Jack, eyebrows raised.

"Well... I...", started Hiccup flustered.

"Ye—eah?", asked Jack fondly.

"I really like you and if you haven't said yes to dating one of the Stabbingtons, I'd like to... uh... ask you out on a date too", blurted Hiccup out, gulping hard.

"...I'm sorry, what?", asked Jack, eyes widening as his knife slipped. "Ah!"

Hiccup dropped his own knife and hastily went to get a towel to wrap around Jack's now bleeding finger. "I'm sorry, this was so not how I pictured telling you and asking you out would go."

Jack blushed as he held his bleeding hand close, leaning against the counter. "So..."

"I like you. A lot. I've had a crush on you ever since you moved here", said Hiccup slowly, getting a band-aid from the cupboard. "And... And I've developed feelings for you. A lot of feelings. Strong feelings. I like you _so much_. So I thought I should _really_ tell you before you go on a date with someone else so I can see if I even have a chance. Because I don't wanna be the kind of person who has waited too long and then only tells the other after they're already in another relationship and maybe I should stop watching bad rom-com movies with Heather..."

Jack just nodded, accepting the band-aid to put on his finger. "I... don't know what to say."

"Do you... like me? I mean. Could you imagine going on a date with me?", asked Hiccup. "It's... okay if you don't want to and if you only see me as a friend. I just want to know."

"I... think I like you too?", admitted Jack after a moment. "I mean, I don't know. It's been all really confusing lately. I know I like spending time with you a lot, in a different way than with the others. And I... I might have gotten kind of jealous of Merida too. You're cute."

"Really?", asked Hiccup surprised, looking up.

"Yeah. You're cute. The whole... freckles and small smiles and cutesy dragon taming and good friend who stands up for his friends and you're really handsome", listed Jack with a shrug. "I mean, you really helped me... a lot. With... getting settled and finding friends. I'm grateful, but not just that. You're a good person, Hiccup. I think... I think I want to go on a date with you. To see where things can go? But I don't want the whole island to know just yet! You're like _the_ future Alpha. If everyone hears we went on a date and then starts gossiping and it doesn't work out-"

"Okay. Yes. I get it", nodded Hiccup, cupping Jack's face. "I get it. You're right."

"Yeah?", asked Jack with a small smile and leaned up on his tip-toes, pecking Hiccup's cheek.

Hiccup's cheeks were dark red when Jack backed off, making the snow-bringer grin broadly. Blinking, Hiccup leaned down to return the favor, kissing Jack's cheek and making him blush.

"Okay, let's finish dinner before your family comes home", suggested Hiccup.

"Okay", nodded Jack with the smallest smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's all collectively thank Toothless for having Strong Words with Hiccup. ;D Well. Now they're together! Next chapter is going to focus on their first date. ;)


	15. Once Upon a Forest

_Chapter 15: Once Upon a Forest_

Moana was curious as she followed a nervous Jack up to his room. After school, Jack had asked her to come home with him because he _really_ needed her help. She'd been trying to figure out with what he might need her help, but damn it looked serious. She hadn't seen Jack this nervous in a while. Was something up with his powers? Had he been losing control or something...?

"Moana! You are frequent guest at our house by now!", declared Nick pleased, hugging her.

"What can I say, you make the best cookies", grinned Moana, returning the hug.

"I like the girl", laughed Nick. "You kids go ahead, dinner will be another hour."

"We're not staying for dinner, uncle Nick", announced Jack. "Come, Mo."

Moana raised her eyebrows, exchanging a shrug with Nick before following Jack upstairs. What was the white-haired omega up to...? When she snuck into Jack's room, she was surprised by the mess. It looked like Jack's closet had vomited all over the floor. Jack heaved a deep sigh and collapsed on his bed with his arms spread while Moana closed the door.

"So, what's up, Frosty?", asked Moana curiously, walking up to him.

"I need help and I don't know who else to ask and you're like my best friend but you have to promise not to tell anyone, okay?", blurted Jack out, sitting up.

"You got my undivided attention, boy", stated Moana, sitting down next to Jack. "Shoot."

"I have a _date_ and I don't know what to _wear_ or what to _do_ ", sighed Jack. "What... What does one do on a date? I mean, how's it like any different from just hanging out with a friend? It never _looks_ different in the movies or shows. So how do you make it... different? And what do I wear? I can't just wear what I always wear – ratty hoodie and all. It should be special, right? But not _too_ special... I... I don't want to seem _desperate_ or _pushy_ , or like I'm trying too hard... See. This is my problem. I have no idea what I'm doing, I'm totally out of my element here."

"A date?", echoed Moana, both eyebrows raised high in surprise. "Oh, oh no, you did _not_ agree to go on a date with either Stabbington, did you? Because I tell you, there is a _long_ list of people who would deserve you more than them. List including, but not limited to-"

"Hiccup", interrupted Jack tensely.

"Well, yeah. Definitely including him", agreed Moana with a short nod.

"No. No. The one I'm going on a date with. It... It's _Hiccup_ ", sighed Jack.

"...Say that again, boy", requested Moana, blinking slowly.

"Hiccup. I am going on a date with Hiccup. Tonight", replied Jack. "We... uh... The other day, he was over and he confessed really awkwardly and cutely that he likes me and that he'd be an idiot if he'd miss out on this opportunity and wait until I'm like... in a relationship or something. And tonight, we're going on our first date."

Jack huffed breathlessly as Moana knocked him over with the force of her hug, squeaking as she squeezed the air out of him. "I can't believe you got your man. I'm so happy for you."

"I—I didn't get _anything_ and he's not _my_ man. We're just going on _a date_ ", muttered Jack.

He was blushing brightly and the blush darkened when Moana gave him a pointed look. "Sure thing. Now, let's figure out what you can wear on that first date of yours, mh?"

"Thanks, Mo", smiled Jack, relaxing some. "You're the best."

/break\

Hiccup was staring with his mouth open and unblinking eyes. If he'd blink, he would miss something. And he definitely could _not_. Jack was... Jack was... absolutely breathtaking.

The white-haired omega was wearing a dark-blue hoodie. But instead of the silver frost-patterns that his regular hoodie had, this one had white, fluffy fur lining the hood and sleeves, the hoodie's blue a darker tone than the one Jack usually wore. The leather-pants Jack was wearing were white, not brown like Jack usually preferred. He looked insanely beautiful.

"Hiccup?", asked Jack with a frown, waving a hand in front of Hiccup's face. "You ready to go, or...? Are you even _paying attention_...?"

"So pretty", whispered Hiccup in awe, still staring, before his eyes widened and he blushed. "Uh, I didn't mean to say that aloud. I mean, I didn't mean to say it _like that_. I wanted to make a good impression and seem eloquent or something but you look _so pretty_ and I forgot how to function and urgh, please, if the Earth ever planned on opening up and swallowing me whole, now would be _the perfect_ time for that, yeah."

Blinking slowly, Jack started laughing, covering his mouth with one hand, eyes sparkling. "Not the perfect time. If the Earth would swallow you now, you would miss our first date, you know."

Hiccup made a very miserable sound at that, covering his face with both his hands. "Can we... Can we maybe just start over, please...? This is totally off-script."

Jack continued laughing, but he leaned in and kissed Hiccup's cheek and Hiccup was about ready to just faint. "Nope. I like the way this is going so far. Flustered Hiccup is _fun_."

"...Wonderful that you are enjoying my misery", drawled Hiccup dryly.

"Just... shows I'm not the only one who's nervous about this", grinned Jack with soft eyes.

"You're nervous too?", asked Hiccup hopefully, looking up at Jack like a puppy.

"Of course I'm nervous. I've never been on a _date_ before", shrugged Jack casually.

"Okay. So. Let's... do this. Together", nodded Hiccup. "Come."

"What do you have planned?", asked Jack curiously as he followed Hiccup.

They reached the stables and there, Hiccup led Jack to Maximus and Angus. "I asked the girls if I could borrow their horses today. Said we just wanted to... hang out. But I have plans."

Humming curiously, Jack climbed onto Maximus' back, patting the white horse's side. Hiccup all the while climbed onto Angus and led the way. For a while, the two of them just rode next to each other, talking softly about school and that last football game. It was really nice and even though it didn't seem different from what they usually did, it _felt_ different. More... intimate.

"I've never been to this part of Berk before", stated Jack wearily as they went up a narrow path.

The sun was already slowly setting and in the past months, Jack really had never been this far into the mountains – the low mountains. Berk had a lot of mountains and the Saint Norths lived in the highest, coldest mountain. But here, the trees were green and the paths were narrow. Not traveled much. Hiccup however looked like he knew exactly where he was going.

"It's kind of a... secret spot. A lagoon that Toothless and I discovered the first summer he was here", replied Hiccup. "We'll be there soon. It's really well hidden. We kind of... found it by accident, actually. We crash-landed in the lagoon. That's... yeah, that's how I lost my leg."

Jack stared at him in surprised silence for a few moments. "And... you still go there?"

"It's not the place's fault. It was ours, for being dumb kids", chuckled Hiccup sheepishly.

Jack nodded slowly, frowning deeply. He ran his eyes over Hiccup, to make sure his boyfriend – oh, boyfriend, huh – was really alright. He looked that way, at least, offering Jack a grin and a wink.

"A—and we're here", announced Hiccup as he stopped Angus.

Jack followed Hiccup off the horses and through a tight passage into a grove. It was beautiful. A lagoon, a beach, surrounded by stone-walls, the sunlight softly falling in through the leaves of the trees growing atop the stones. It was absolutely breathtaking. Staring in awe, Jack looked around as he was led over to a nice spot by Hiccup. Hiccup got the blanket and food out of the backpack he had been carrying. It looked like a really nice picnic.

"Did you make all this food yourself?", asked Jack curiously when they sat down.

"No. Mom helped", admitted Hiccup. "Especially with the desserts."

"Mh, Cass' cakes. Good", grinned Jack pleased. "Oh, I brought cookies?"

Hiccup perked up at that, watching Jack get the cookies out of his own backpack. The two of them got comfortable together and started eating. At first, they just ate and talked casually, but the longer they sat together, the more comfortable they got and the more intimate it felt. Jack was leaning heavily against Hiccup's chest, Hiccup having one arm wrapped around his waist and hand-feeding Jack. For a long stretch of time, they'd just stare into each other's eyes and trade the occasional kiss.

"Okay, I think I get how this is different from just hanging out with friends", whispered Jack.

"Mh?", grunted Hiccup confused, getting lost in Jack's eyes.

"Well, when I was getting ready, I was talking to Mo and asking her what the difference is between a real date and just hanging out with a friend", replied Jack. "But now... I guess..."

"Wait, you told Moana?", asked Hiccup surprised. "I mean, I thought you said that you didn't want anyone to know so no one would put, you know, expectations on us...?"

"Yeah sure, but it's not all of Berk. It's just... _Mo_ ", shrugged Jack, wiggling his nose in a very cute way. "Moana is like... my... best friend. Never had one of those before. I had to tell her. It's... okay? Right? I mean, you don't mind, do you...?"

"No. No, I just... I mean... I wanted to tell Toothless too", shrugged Hiccup with a blush.

"So... what are we going to do after dinner?", asked Jack curiously.

"...I... uhm...", started Hiccup with a frown. "I didn't think that far ahead...?"

"Right", grinned Jack and tilted his head as he looked around, until his eyes sparkled. "I think I have an idea. Get up. Come, Hics."

Hiccup yelped as he was being pulled up and toward the small lagoon. It was rather shallow, he knew the water barely covered his shoulders at the deepest point. Jack lifted a hand and whirled it around once, making snow fall and turning the shallow lagoon solid. Hiccup smiled and turned to look at the sky as a snowflake hit his nose.

"Sit down", ordered Jack with a mischievous grin.

When Hiccup did so, Jack used his powers to add blades to the bottom of the shoes. Jack did the same with his own shoes and then pulled Hiccup along onto the lake. For the next hour, the two of them danced over the ice as snow gently fell around them. Hiccup was still a little awkward, but Jack led them well, laughing – his laughter rang true through the whole lagoon.

Both collapsed onto their blanket afterward, Hiccup with his arms spread and Jack half on top of him, resting his cheek on his boyfriend's chest. They laid to face the sky, staring up at the moon.

"This is really nice", whispered Jack softly.

"Yeah? Good first date?", asked Hiccup hopefully.

"Very good first date", confirmed Jack with a gentle smile, leaning in to kiss Hiccup.

Hiccup blushed, but he looked also utterly pleased at that.

/break\

Jack smiled brightly as he hummed and decorated his cake. He was practically dancing through the kitchen. Cass was watching him curiously. He was a mischievous and good boy and usually happy, but today? He was practically floating. He even had his tail and ears out, ears twitching and tail wagging slightly. The Arctic fox was _definitely_ in a good mood.

"Did something good happen?", asked Cass with a smile as she came up next to her student.

"Mh?", grunted Jack confused, turning toward the café owner.

It was another one of Cass' baking classes and Jack really loved those. It was a lot of fun and the _Lucky Cat Café_ was a really beautiful place where Jack felt rather welcomed. He smiled at Cass.

"You've been humming and dancing around", laughed Cass softly.

"Oh. Yeah. Uhm. I guess I'm... just... happy?", shrugged Jack with a blush.

Cass raised one eyebrow and nodded, leaving the boy alone for now but knowing this was about something else. Though as soon as she was gone, Rapunzel popped up next to Jack.

"You _are_ extremely happy", noted the blonde. "What happened?"

"Maybe I had... a good day yesterday", shrugged Jack with a teasing grin.

Rapunzel raised both of her eyebrows at that. "You are not telling me everything. This must be _good_. You'll tell me though, right? When you're ready to tell?"

At that, Jack nodded and smiled softly. He would. Not now. They had barely been on one date and he really didn't want everyone looming over him and Hiccup, expecting to hear all the details and pushing them to work out at all costs. For now, this was _just theirs_.

/break\

Cass Hamada was neither blind, not stupid. She was very perceptive. When one was raising five children, one _had_ to be perceptive. Personally, she had known from the beginning that Hiccup and Merida never meant to become mates. It was obvious. They weren't interested in each other. They were good friends, who were being pressured by their Alphas into this and didn't see another option than to pretend to be dating. For a while, Cass had contemplated stepping in and setting Elinor and Stoick straight, but she had chosen _against_ it. Even if not mated, both Merida and Hiccup would one day become leaders in their own rights – and for that, they _needed_ to learn to step up for themselves. Merida and Hiccup had to learn to say no to their parents and Alphas, to stand true to themselves. If shove came to push, Cass would have stepped in – there was no question there. She would have intervened if they had actually continued with this scheme, but she wanted to give Hiccup and Merida the chance to gain the courage and end it themselves.

She had been a bit surprised when Hiccup had confessed to him and Merida 'breaking up' because they were not a match. After all, it had been going on for long enough now and she had started to believe they both were just comfortable in their hiding. So, naturally, Cass grew more curious as to _what_ had caused this rather sudden act of bravery from her son.

She did not miss that their house smelt more like marshmallows and snow lately. For the most part, Cass had thought that was just due to the friendship between Hiro and Jack, but something had changed. _Hiccup_ was the one who smelt more like Jackson Overland. And while that might be just because the two of them were friends, her intuition told her otherwise.

Now, when Jack had come to her baking class, humming and practically dancing, on the day after Hiccup got home late with a dopey smile and the faintest blush, claiming he had been working late on a project at school... She knew how to put two and two together.

Ever since Jack had moved to Berk, Hiccup had been spending a whole lot of time with him. Now, he came clear about not dating Merida, they started smelling like each other – Cass had gotten a whiff of Jack during the baking class and there was some Hiccup clinging onto the white-haired omega. Not to mention, when Hiccup had left yesterday, he had packed 'lunch' and had been very specific about what cake he wanted to take with him. Cheesecake. Not really one Hiccup usually enjoyed, but it was Jack's favorite cake, Cass knew that by now because Jack had become a regular at the café just like every other teen their age-group, really.

Cass smiled as she exited the bathroom, barely getting past Heather as the girl squeezed in. "Sorry, Cass. Gotta hurry before Dagur notices you're done. Night."

"Good night, sweetie", chuckled Cass amused and continued on her way.

"Cass? You done?", asked Dagur and poked his head out of his room.

"Yes, but your sister was faster", replied Cass, amusement growing.

Dagur glared and groaned. "We need more bathrooms in this house."

"Less people would work too", called Hiro out from his room. "You and Tadashi moving out after your graduation, _right_? So me, Hics and Heather get more space and privacy."

"You're still gunning for our room, aren't you?", called Tadashi back, sounding amused.

Hiccup and Hiro used to share a room until very recently. Tadashi and Dagur _still_ shared a room, the largest of the bedrooms. Hiro had taken it upon himself to live in what used to be a storage room and was definitely too small – but apparently he valued privacy over space, at least for now. And Cass understood that. Hiro was fourteen now, he didn't want to always have his big brother in his room when his friends were over. It was awkward.

"Tadashi, don't stay up studying too long", stated Cass as she poked her head into the boys' room. "Dagur, no playing video games until past midnight. You have classes tomorrow and you need to be prepared for your exams. Good night, boys."

"Night", chorused Tadashi and Dagur.

Next, she poked her head into Hiro's room. "Lights out, sweetie."

"Ye—es, mom", groaned Hiro with a pout. "Good night."

And lastly, she checked in with Hiccup, who was working on his sketchbook, deep in thought. Curiously, Cass approached him and looked over his shoulder, just to see that he was sketching a beautiful white fox. Just like Jack's shift-form. The smile on her lips grew.

"Don't forget to go to bed, Hiccup", reminded Cass fondly.

Startled, he tried to hide his sketchbook, his cheeks dark-red. Yes, Cass' hunch was definitely on point. He nodded in agreement and wished her a good night before she left his room. Rather pleased with herself did she head toward her own bedroom, where her husband was already tucked in and reading a book, running his fingers through his beard thoughtfully.

"Honey", started Cass sweetly, smiling as she crawled into the bed too.

"Yes, dear?", asked Stoick absentmindedly, not looking up from his book.

"Honey", tried Cass again, even sweeter, and kissed his cheek.

"I'm sorry, what?", asked Stoick, putting his book down and turning toward his wife.

Cass smiled fondly at him before kissing him properly. She loved this man so much. Stoick on the outside, but he was true and caring on the inside. He loved his pack, this island, and above all else his family so much. He was such a gentle and caring soul, always concerned for those in his care.

"I think we should invite the Saint Norths over for dinner this weekend. It feels like ages since I last saw Toothiana and that vodka Nick always brings is nearly empty", mused Cass. "Not to mention, it would be a good opportunity for you as the Alpha to check in on the two newest members of the pack and see how they have settled in. It's been half a year since they moved here now."

"Already?", asked Stoick surprised. "Time truly flies... Yes. Yes, that is a brilliant idea, love. Whatever would I be doing without you?"

He smiled and kissed her, making her grin pleased. "You would be terribly lost."

"I would indeed", confirmed Stoick, eyes soft as he looked at her.

Settling in on her half of the bed, Cass took her phone and opened the group chat with her girls – Toothiana, Elinor and Sina. Though Elinor _rarely_ participated in the group chat, she still appreciated being part of it to stay updated on the other three women's lives.

 _Cass: Tooth, you and Nick busy this Saturday? Dinner at my place_.

_Toothiana: Oh, wonderful! I'll tell Nick right away. Looking forward to it!_

_Sina: Pure envy, Tooth. Wish I could be there too. I hope our weekend trip won't expand..._

_Elinor: Is Moana going to be alright without you and Tui at home? Who is watching her?_

_Sina: It will just be a couple of days. I'm sure she will be alright._

_Elinor: Nonsense. Do send her over, she can stay with us for the weekend._

_Sina: Thank you. Much appreciated. She does have her head in the clouds when she's alone._

Cass chuckled to herself as she turned her phone off and snuggled into the bed and up against her husband. Dinner was hopefully going to be enlightening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THEY'RE OFFICIALLY DATING! ^o^ And it only took them 15 chapters to get to the first date! :O
> 
> Next chapter, dinner with the future in-laws. Also, pain, lots of it, because this has been too fluffy and happy and unproblematic so far! ;D


	16. Inside Out

_Chapter 16: Inside Out_

Moana was grumbling as she packed a backpack. Jack sat perched up on her windowsill, grinning amused to himself. Apparently, her plans of a weekend of having the house all to herself had been canceled by her mom. Now she was really torn about whether her weekend was going to be great, or awful, because she was going to stay with Merida. Her sort of kind of maybe girlfriend. Honestly, they still didn't quite know where they stood.

"It's the perfect opportunity for you to talk to her about a date", offered Jack.

"Yeah. Great idea, Frosty", huffed Moana and threw a pillow at him. "And when she says that she's not ready yet for us to go on a date, I'm going to awkwardly sleep in her room for two nights."

Jack threw the pillow right back at Moana, making her grunt. "Now, don't be an idiot, Waialiki. She totally likes you and you are not the squeamish person who can't talk about feelings. Right?"

"I mean. I don't know?", shrugged Moana and wiggled her nose before sighing. "...Okay. Fine."

"Good girl", grinned Jack and patted her on the shoulder. "Also, take this dress."

"Why? It's not exactly the most comfy one", huffed Moana.

"Ye—eah. But it's the one Merida always looks after you with large eyes", grinned Jack.

Moana's eyes widened and her cheeks heated up. "W—What?"

"Oh yeah. Your ass and legs look amazing in that dress. Objectively speaking here", confirmed Jack with a smirk, hip-checking Moana. "And Merida has _noticed_. Not so objectively though."

Moana took the dress from Jack and stuffed it into her backpack. "What about you? Big dinner with the family of your boyfriend. Nervous already?"

It was Jack's turn to blush at that. "Uhm... yeah. Kind of, I guess. I don't know... I just..."

"You'll do fine. Cass really likes you", offered Moana comfortingly.

Jack smiled faintly at that and nodded slowly. He really _hoped_ so.

/break\

"Cass! Thanks for having us. It's so good to see you again!", greeted Toothiana excitedly.

Cass laughed as she hugged Toothiana back. "It really is. Please come in."

"We brought vodka. And wine", offered Nick with a broad smile.

"How considerate, my friend", laughed Stoick, patting Nick on the back.

Mary tugged on Jack's sleeve and looked up at him hopefully as the two siblings made their way toward the living room. Jack grinned broadly and winked at his little sister. He had promised her that while they would be down in town, the two of them would go ice-skating together and Mary was really looking forward to it. So was Jack though, because he had not spent as much time with Mary as he would like to lately. Back home, the two had been sitting on each other all the time, doing everything together. Here on Berk, both of them had their own friends though. Mary went and hung out a lot with Sophie, Gustav and the triplets, while Jack now had friends too. A lot of friends, where it was nearly hard for Jack to even _manage_ – between Jamie and his friends, as well as Hiccup and his friends, it was already hard enough to find equal time to spend with them. It was really hard to keep his social life straight, but he didn't want to neglect his little sister.

"Ja—ack! You're here!", exclaimed Hiro excitedly.

The young omega grinned broadly as he collided face-first with Jack's stomach, hugging him. Jack grinned as he wrapped his arms around the younger boy, nuzzling him. Heather and Hiccup poured in next, both greeting Jack. Well, Hiccup had a slightly smitten look on his face and a dumb grin as he passed Jack. Dagur laughed and patted Jack on the back with enough force to nearly knock him off his feet and lastly Tadashi came in, smiling at Jack in greeting.

"Good to see you. Come, come. I'm starving!", declared Dagur with a laugh.

Jack smiled as he found himself sitting between Mary and Hiro, with Hiccup sitting opposite him. The long table was decked out with enough food to feed a small army – which, not that untrue, if Jack just looked at Stoick and Nick alone, really.

"Well, how are things going for you children?", asked Stoick as everyone started serving.

"Good, thank you, Alpha", hummed Mary. "My grades got better since we moved here! The teachers here are _wa—ay_ better than where we're from."

"That is actually true", agreed Jack. "School is far better here."

"It's good that you are enjoying school", nodded Stoick pleased. "Have you picked up any school activities? I saw you at the game, but you have not joined any sports yourself?"

"Not so big on sports", shrugged Jack and wiggled his nose, noticing the frown on the Alpha's face and quickly retracking. "I mean, I am a huge enthusiast for ice-skating, but that's not exactly something the school offers. And I'm not big on the team-sports. I do some running and riding. I've been thinking about that, actually. I know Punzel and Merida have horses and I was thinking about, perhaps, riding out with them some. There are more horses out at the range, after all..."

"Oh? Really? You haven't mentioned that yet", said Toothiana curiously.

"It... is a rather recent idea", shrugged Jack with a small blush.

"That is an excellent idea!", exclaimed Nick. "You could ride reindeer."

"Horses!", countered Jack quickly. "Not... Not your reindeer!"

"Understandable", muttered Tadashi beneath his breath, amused grin on his face.

Hiccup was smiling gently at Jack from across the table, though his smile slipped when something brushed his leg. At first, he thought it might be Mochi, but the overweight cat was sitting next to Hiro and kept getting fed by the youngest Haddock-Hamada sibling. The thing brushed his leg again and again, nudging him. Then, he felt what it was, toes digging into his calves. His eyes widened as he looked up and stared at Jack. There was the sliest, sneakiest grin on Jack's face. Seriously? At the dinner table? With both their families? The foot wandered up more, pushing between Hiccup's thighs in a teasing manner. Jack winked at him. Hiccup blushed brightly.

/break\

"Thanks for having me", sighed Moana, bowing her head a little.

"Oh, of course", chided Elinor while hugging Sina. "You and Tui have fun on your trip."

"We will", assured Sina with a smile. "And you, behave yourself, Moana."

"Will do, mom", replied Moana. "Hug cousin Maui for me, yeah?"

She pushed past the two women and walked deeper into the DunBroch home. Hubert, Hamish and Harris were playing in the living room – they had built a fortress that was _way_ too elaborate. Dodging them, Moana made her way upstairs. The office door was open, showing an exhausted Fergus leaning over some paperwork. Deciding against bothering him, Moana continued toward Merida's bedroom. Knocking briefly, she entered the room. Merida looked up from the arrows she was sharpening on her bed. The redhead smiled at her immediately.

"Moana! Hey! Uhm, sorry for the mess", grinned Merida, dropping her arrows.

She scrambled off the bed and went to hug Moana. Moana inhaled deeply, enjoying the omega's scent, as she clung onto the redhead. Her eyes wandered around the room curiously. She liked Merida's room, it was overall very... Merida. The walls were plastered with posters of the _Arrow_ and _Avengers_ posters of Hawkeye, Legolas from _Lord of the Rings_ and BBC's _Robin Hood_. It was utterly and absolutely undeniable that Merida liked archery and archers.

"So, what you wanna do?", asked Moana curiously as the two girls sat down on Merida's bed.

"I don't know? Watch movies? We have two days", shrugged Merida thoughtfully.

"Let me guess: You want to watch _Lord of the Rings_ , right?", teased Moana.

Merida gasped and stared at her offended. "Why, such an accusation. What would make you think—Yeah. Of course. Obviously do I wanna watch Legolas kick ass."

When Merida wanted to get up, Moana grabbed her wrist and stopped her, frowning a little. Merida mirrored her frown, tilting her head and turning to face Moana fully.

"What?", asked Merida. "I get snacks, you get settled in...?"

"No. Can... we talk first?", asked Moana softly.

"What's wrong?", grunted Merida, eyebrows furrowed.

"Hiccup told his parents about you two not being together anymore, you know", drawled Moana, fidgeting some. "I was just wondering... I mean... Have you told your parents yet?"

"I... have", confirmed Merida awkwardly, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Oh", grunted Moana surprised. "Uhm. How did your mom take it?"

"Better than expected, actually?", shrugged Merida with a frown. "I mean... I expected her to be disappointed or something. But dad talked to her too and mentioned how much the two of them had fallen in love during the courting phase. If me and Hiccup haven't fallen in love yet, then we never will. And mom, she actually... She agreed with that. She sighed heavily and she's definitely disappointed that things won't go the way they had planned, but... she accepts it."

"Okay. Good. Okay. I'm... glad for you", nodded Moana.

An awkward silence befell them for a long moment. Moana wasn't really sure what to say next. If Elinor and Fergus knew that Merida and Hiccup weren't together, then... Could Moana and Merida maybe go on a date, perhaps? Could Moana _ask_ that...? Was that too much?

"You wanna go on a date next week?"

Moana's head snapped up and she stared at the ginger in surprise. Merida's cheeks were flushed as she stared down at the arrowhead in her hand that she was twirling around.

"I mean, you don't _have_ to. It's been a little since we spoke about this, so if you changed your mind, that's totally okay, you know-", blurted Merida out.

"I'd love to!", interrupted Moana wide-eyed.

"Really?", asked Merida and looked up.

"Yeah. Really", confirmed Moana with a smile. "I'd really love that."

"Okay. Good", nodded Merida pleased. "So, can I get snacks now?"

"Right. Yeah. Food and movies, okay", nodded Moana.

As soon as Merida was out of the room, Moana took her phone out and opened her contacts. _Snowflake_ was quickly found and Moana shot him a text – _GOING ON A DATE W MERIDA!_

/break\

They had just finished the main course and Jack and the other teenagers had brought the dishes out to get the desserts for everyone. Stoick and Nick were two glasses into Stoick's favorite whiskey, while Cass and Toothiana had opened the bottle of wine that the Saint Norths had brought with them. While Dagur and Heather were fighting over the ice-cream and Tadashi was heating up the berry sauce, Jack's phone vibrated. Frowning curiously, he got the phone out of his pants.

_Wave Girl: GOING ON A DATE W MERIDA!_

Jack grinned pleased at that, first of all sending a thumbs up and then writing a text to his best friend. _Awesome. Told you it'd be fine! Dinner's going good too. Have fun with Merida_.

"Anything interesting happened?"

Jack startled a little at the sudden voice right next to his ear. He turned a bit to glare at Hiccup, who was resting his chin on Jack's shoulder to peek curiously. Jack stepped a bit away from the other.

"Well, seems that way", hummed Jack and slipped the phone back into his pocket.

"So, what was that thing earlier?", hissed Hiccup beneath his breath, glaring a little himself, cheeks flushed. "Se—eriously. That was... super not okay. I was really _distracted_."

Jack grinned and wiggled his nose. "Couldn't not. It's too much _fun_ teasing you and your startled deer expression was _the best_. You're so adorable."

"A—Adorable?", sputtered Hiccup, eyes large and cheeks again flushed.

"Ye—ep. That. Exactly that startled deer expression", grinned Jack with a wink. "Adorable."

Hiccup was left standing there, staring after him as Jack left the room to carry out two servings of vanilla ice-cream with berry sauce. Hiro and Mary were upstairs, because Hiro had wanted to show her his new video-game before desserts. Tadashi and Dagur followed Jack out with more desserts, but before Hiccup could do the same, he was stopped by Heather. She pushed herself right between Hiccup and the door, a broad, knowing grin on her lips.

"Wha—at was that with _Jack_?", asked Heather teasingly.

"What? Nothing! No. Why are you saying his name like that?", sputtered Hiccup.

"You are such a bad liar", sighed Heather amused and shook her head. "Look, it's totally fine to have a crush on Jack. He's a very pretty, unmated omega."

"He... He is...", confirmed Hiccup reluctantly, scratching his nose.

Heather sighed and shook her head. "Brother, you are... really bad at this. Really, at this rate, you will never find an omega of your own. You need to be able to _talk_ to people."

Hiccup bit his tongue at that to not tell her that well, he knew exactly how to talk to an omega – because he had _somehow_ managed to talk Jack into dating him. Instead, Hiccup straightened up and joined his family and Jack's family back in the living room.

/break\

"Be careful", laughed Toothiana.

Jack laughed as he turned away from her to follow his sister. "We will."

He followed his sister, who had run ahead excitedly. Grinning, Jack picked up his pace to catch up with his younger sister. They basically raced each other to the lake and as soon as they were there, they put on their ice-skates. Concentrating, Jack used his powers to freeze the lake and let it snow.

Today was a good day, a _really_ good day. Dinner with the Haddock-Hamadas had been so much fun, teasing Hiccup and seeing him blush was so cute and Cass and Stoick had been more than welcoming and nice. It had also been good to spend some time with Hiro and Heather, who Jack also liked. Food itself had also been amazing. And now, to end the day, Jack would get to skate with his little sister. Sure, it had been fun to skate with Hiccup, but Jack actually had to lead Hiccup the entire time and make sure his dorky boyfriend would not fall on his ass. Mary however, she was his best competition. The two of them could race each other for hours. And now, finally, after all the weeks of training and – ah, therapy in a way – Jack felt comfortable enough with his powers, confident enough in them to use them so freely. That Mary trusted him helped immensely.

"So, you've been spending a lot of time with Moana", drawled Mary as the two got on the ice.

"Mh? Yeah? She's like... my best friend", shrugged Jack confused.

He circled Mary, who then grinned at him. "And you're sure she's not your _girlfriend_?"

Jack slipped and nearly fell on his butt. "Whoah. What. No. Mo is my _friend_. I swear."

"Su—ure", chimed Mary mischievously, slipping past Jack and making him follow. "Don't tell me you don't have a—anyone you're interested in, big brother. Oh, is it Toothless? Jamie?"

"No! No, no, no, stop it", huffed Jack, cheeks flushed.

"... _Hiccup_?", asked Mary, both eyebrows raised.

"...No?", tried Jack, cheeks even darker. "Urgh, stop it!"

Mary started giggling and rushed off, with Jack hot on her heels. That was when everything went horribly wrong though. The ice started cracking. The lake had been too big, Jack's power hadn't been strong enough, Jack had overestimated himself, had gotten too _cocky_.

Mary stood there, with fearful eyes, staring at him. "Jack. I'm scared."

"You don't have to be...", started Jack, taking a shaky breath. "We're going to have a bit of... fun."

Jack gulped, taking a shaky breath as he stepped carefully up to Mary. His magic was fizzled out. He had been up too long last night, fretting about dinner today, and now he has over-exhausted his magic. He had been _stupid_. He had been incredibly stupid.

"Ja—ack!", screamed Mary fearfully.

That was the last thing Jack heard when he thrust her out of the way and felt the ice break beneath him. He had been so enthusiastic about being in control. He had overestimated himself.

It was cold and it was dark, that was the last thing Jack felt.

/break\

"Jamie, hey. Hiro, Jamie is here!", called Hiccup out as he opened the door. "Though, it's _a little_ late. I don't think mom and dad would approve of that. ...Is everything alright?"

Jamie looked troubled, worn out. Hiro came stumbling down the stairs, trying to smooth down his hair before approaching slower, smiling. Hiccup stepped aside a little, looking at Jamie.

"There was... an accident", started Jamie, fidgeting. "Mary called Sophie, because she... needed some support. I'm sure Nick and Toothiana would have called you later too, but I offered and-"

"What are you talking about, Jamie?", asked Hiro confused.

"Jack and Mary went to the lake to skate and... something happened. Jack broke in, but by the time Mary got help... it was...", started Jamie, voice shaking.

"No. No, no. No, Jack's not... H—He's not...", stuttered Hiro, tears forming in his eyes.

He was shaking a little, his scent turning sour with fear and sadness. Jamie lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Hiro, resting his chin on top of the younger boy's head.

"No. No, he's not dead, but... but he's in a... coma", whispered Jamie. "They say that if he doesn't wake up within the first forty-eight hours, his chances are... aren't good..."

"A... A _coma_?", asked Hiccup, completely overwhelmed.

He stumbled backward a step, unable to comprehend what Jamie had just said. That was _impossible_. Just five hours ago, Jack had still been making fun of Hiccup, laughing at something Heather had said while Hiccup had still been so distracted from Jack's teasing.

"That... That can't be true", whispered Hiccup. "You must be mistaken."

"Soph was talking to Mary on the phone, even when I left", replied Jamie. "I called Toothiana on my way over and she... she said... They were at the hospital. Are at the hospital."

Absentmindedly, Hiccup turned around and headed back upstairs to his room. Closing the door, he went to sit at his table. He grabbed his phone and went for his contacts. For a long moment, he paused and just stared at the beautiful picture of Jack, messy haired and smiling brightly. Shaking himself out of it, Hiccup dialed the number and held his breath. It rang and rang and _rang_.

" _You've reached Jack Frost. If you hear this, you gotta upgrade to the year 2018 because no one leaves voice messages anymore. Just send me a text like a normal person, yeah_?"

Frowning, Hiccup sent Jack a text. And another, just to make sure. Then he tried calling again.

When nothing happened again, he changed tactics. Biting his lips, he called Nick Saint North.

"Hiccup, my boy, now is not a good time. We are at the hospital and-", started Nick before pausing. "Hiccup... my boy, I'm sorry, but... Jack is in the hospital. I'm sorry, I have to go, I have to-"

Hiccup couldn't even get a single word out as the call disconnected again. So it was true. ut that couldn't be. They only just got together. There was still so much Hiccup wanted to learn about Jack, wanted to know him inside out. Now everything was turned upside down instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because the story was going too smoothly and was too happy. Have some drama! ;D Next chapter will have A LOT of Hiccup angst because duh. Also telling their friends what happened.


	17. Sleeping Beauty

_Chapter 17: Sleeping Beauty_

Moana was smiling happily as she straightened her dress and turned around just a little. Damn. Jack was _right_ , that dress really did make her ass look great. Her smile grew. Oh, she could not wait to call Jack after the date and tell him everything about her first date with Merida.

It had been a spontaneous idea this morning, to go on their first date today. They told Merida's parents that they were going to see a movie. As friends did. Only, they were now _more_ than friends.

"Merry, you ready?", called Moana out.

Moments later and Merida came out of the bathroom, brushing her hair out of her face. She looked amazing in her turquoise vest over the white blouse, with pants to match the vest. For a long moment did Moana just gape at Merida, causing the redhead to nervously play with her hair.

"We—ell?", asked Merida impatiently. "Am I good to go? I don't know what to wear for a date."

"You are... so... so... _so_ pretty", whispered Moana in awe.

Merida blinked and blushed. "Thanks. So are you. Uhm. So. You wanna go?"

Smiling brightly, Moana grabbed her bag and nodded, following Merida out of the house. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She was so eager to make this first date perfect. She frowned when her phone started buzzing in her bag, motioning for Merida to wait when she saw it was Jack.

"What's up, Jac... oh. Jamie? Why are you calling from Jack's phone?"

/break\

Rapunzel smiled as she laid sprawled out on the grass in the sun, eyes closed. Eugene was sitting behind her, braiding her hair, while Pascal was laying curled together on her stomach, allowing her to pat him. Today was a beautiful day and it was perfect to just kick back for a little while. Exams were coming up and they had to enjoy every bit of time to themselves.

"I can't _wait_ for exams to be over, blondie", sighed Flynn.

"Me too, Eugene", agreed Rapunzel, her smile growing more soft. "We should do something."

"Yeah? What?", asked Flynn curiously as he added some flowers to the braid.

"I don't know", hummed Rapunzel thoughtfully. "How about... Oh! I know! We could go away for a week or so. Not just a weekend. We could travel farther away, explore more. Hiccup would love that! And we could show Jack more of the archipelago."

Flynn snapped his fingers at that. "That is a brilliant idea. The beach, the ocean, a small ship to cuddle on. Camping out with the guys and gals." He paused when he saw Rapunzel's phone buzzing. "Huh. You telepathic, blondie? Seems Merida read your thoughts."

He handed the phone over to Rapunzel who sat up with a smile. "Hey! We were just—What?"

/break\

Toothless frowned as he looked down at his phone and read the text over and over again. The chat's name read _Jack of all trades_ , with a picture of Jack in his Arctic fox form. Toothless tapped the screen, like that could somehow change the text on it. It didn't.

_This isn't Jack. It's Jamie. I borrowed his phone. We're at the hospital_

_Jack got hurt. He's not good. We don't know everything yet._

Shaking his head, he looked out of the bus' window. The hospital was still ten minutes away. His stomach was in knots. Surely nothing serious had happened to Jack, right? That couldn't be.

/break\

"Here's your jacket, Jamie. Your mom said you forgot it", whispered Pippa softly.

She laid the jacket around Jamie's shoulders, startling the brunette who had just been about to nod off. It was way past midnight and while that normally wasn't a problem for him when it was about playing video games with Monty all night, _this_ was different. This was exhausting.

After he had gone to the Haddock-Hamadas to tell Hiro and Hiccup, he had gone straight to the hospital with them and after getting updated on Jack's situation and then checking up on his little sister, who was curled together with Mary in the waiting room, with Nick and Toothiana at their side, Jamie had taken it upon himself to contact all of Jack's friend, going through the omega's contacts. He had started with _Wave Girl_ , knowing that Moana was essentially Jack's best friend (next to Jamie, of course) and just worked his way through telling the people Jack cared about – Sunshine Girl, Fitzherbert, Daughter of GimLeg, Toothless (at least one where Jamie actually knew who was behind the nickname. He still wondered who Fitzherbert was, but left a text anyway).

And lastly, he had called his own friends from his own phone to tell them. Pippa, being the trusty beta she was, had instantly gathered the others up and showed up at the hospital ASAP, with much appreciated things. A change of clothes for Mary, something that had somehow just gotten a little lost between all the haze. She was still wearing the scrubs she had gotten when the doctor had checked her. Food, even though no one was hungry. Coffee that was actually drinkable, unlike the ugly brew the hospital's vending machine made. A couple blankets, because there was no way any of them would be moving any time soon. Jamie offered Pippa a small smile that she returned.

Caleb and Claude were softly talking with Nick and Toothiana, from the looks of it trying to reassure them that Jack was totally going to be fine. Cupcake was sitting with the girls, taking to Sophie and Mary. Monty was talking to the doctor, asking for some clarifications on the things Nick and Toothiana had heard but had not been able to give because they were beside themselves.

Frowning, Jamie wanted to sit up to go and look for Hiro, just to notice something against his shoulder, slowly slipping down. Turning, Jamie noticed that Hiro was sitting right next to him, curled together on his chair with his legs pulled up and his head resting against Jamie's shoulder. Blushing a little, Jamie adjusted Hiro some to lay more comfortably and rest his head against Jamie's shoulder properly again. He blinked when Pippa threw a blanket over them both.

"You've been here for five hours now", whispered Pippa lowly. "You should rest some more too."

"Just a little", sighed Jamie with a brief nod as he saw that there were no news on Jack. "Where... Where's Hiccup though? I don't see him anywhere either."

"He went outside to get some fresh air", replied Pippa, frowning concerned. "He's... walking like a zombie. I've never seen him like that. It's... It's scary."

With another heavy sigh, Jamie rubbed his face before leaning his head against Hiro's. "It is..."

He had never seen Hiccup like that either. The inventor was always engaged and eager, with a sparkle in his eyes. Ever since Jamie had been small, he had kind of admired Hiccup and his passion. Not just about inventions, also about magical creatures. Jamie had always been fascinated by them too and when he was little and Hiccup was his babysitter, Hiccup would always entertain him, talk to him about all the monsters and creatures that lived or had lived on this planet. He had always encouraged Jamie's passion and fantasy. He had also never given Jamie a hard time about his crush on Hiro, even though Jamie was pretty sure Hiccup must know. Right now though, Hiccup was walking like he was on autopilot and his eyes seemed far, far away.

/break\

Hiccup was leaning against the railing, staring out at Berk with a far-off look on his face. He couldn't stay in the waiting room any longer. It was getting crowded and everyone was being so tense and nervous. The whole atmosphere... Jack was going to be alright, there was no reason to worry about anything. There was no way something serious would happen to Jack.

"He—ey there, buddy. Pippa said you were up here. How are you holding up?"

Startled, Hiccup turned to face the source of the voice. A very awkward looking Flynn Rider, with Rapunzel hanging off his arm, looking concerned. Behind them where Moana and Merida. Frowning, Hiccup turned back to stare out at the city without saying a word.

"The... The doctors said that family could now come in and see him. Nick, Toothiana and Mary went to see Jack", stated Rapunzel, her voice very soft and gentle.

Hiccup gripped the rail harder. Family. He was not family. He was just Jack's... friend. Boyfriend. They had barely gone on _one_ date though. Were they _really_ boyfriends already? He hadn't gotten to sweep Jack off his feet just yet. He'd have to wait to see him, just like everybody else did. Jack was just his boyfriend, not his omega. Hiccup had no special rights to see him.

"Hics?", asked Moana lowly, resting a hand on his upper arm. "Jack's gonna be fine."

Of course he was. Hiccup knew that. There was no way Jack wasn't going to be alright. Behind his back did his friends exchange a worried look as Hiccup didn't react to them at all.

"We're... We're going back down, check in on the others. If you need another moment to yourself", offered Merida reluctantly. "We'll get you if there's any news."

/break\

Hiccup jerked when he was being pushed. Turning to glare, he saw that it was Toothless. The black-haired alpha was looking at Hiccup unimpressed, unfolding his arms to sign to him.

" _Get your moping ass back inside_ ", ordered Toothless firmly.

"What?", asked Hiccup a bit harshly. "I-"

" _That's the problem_ ", interrupted Toothless, shaking his head. " _This isn't about you_."

"My boyfriend, the boy I... I _love_ is... he's-", started Hiccup irritated.

" _Mary's brother is in a coma_ ", interrupted Toothless, eyes sharp. " _The girl lost her parents and now she might lose her brother. Nick lost his niece and her husband and now he might lose the boy who had become like a son to him. Toothiana, who always wanted children, might now lose her son. No one has time to console you. This is not about you, Hiccup. We all care about Jack and we're all currently worrying about Jack, but you...You can be sad and to yourself later. Right now, you should be there for his family. Because HE would want you to be there for his family while he can't._ "

Hiccup frowned. He wanted to protest. Wanted to rage about how unfair this was, how bad he felt. But he also knew... Toothless was right. Mary had lost so much already and she was a total mess. Toothiana and Nick had been so out of it. Frown deepening, Hiccup brushed his hair out of his face and took a deep breath. A tear slipped down his cheek as he looked at Toothless.

"I can't lose him, Toothless", whispered Hiccup.

Sighing, Toothless opened his arms and hugged Hiccup tightly. After a long hug and a little sobbing, the two parted and Toothless tilted his head to check if Hiccup was fine. He knew how his best friend could get. He sometimes needed someone to get his head straight.

" _You good to go back inside_?", asked Toothless.

"Yeah. You're... Thanks, buddy. I don't know what I'd do without you", sighed Hiccup.

" _Be even sadder than you usually are_ ", signed Toothless with a smirk.

Huffing, Hiccup elbowed Toothless before the two of them made their way back inside. The waiting room was by now fully inhabited by Jack's friends and family. Nick and Toothiana were sitting with Stoick and Cass. Monty, Pippa, Caleb and Claude were sleeping in a pile on four chairs next to each other. Cupcake, Jamie and Hiro were sitting opposite them, also sleeping. Toothless patted Hiccup's arm before he went to sit with Rapunzel, Flynn, Merida and Moana in the other row of chairs. Rapunzel was nervous-braiding, both Merida and Moana had multiple small braids in their hair.

"Hey, girls. Here", whispered Hiccup gently as he handed them a thermos of hot chocolate.

Mary was rubbing her eyes, red-rimmed. "Thank you, Hiccup."

Sophie sighed as she took the thermos and filled a cup for Mary. With the smallest, saddest smile did Hiccup sit down next to Jack's sister. She was shaking just a little bit. Hiccup gritted his teeth. What Toothless had said was right. Mary had lost _both_ of her parents and now she was afraid to actually lose her big brother too. He really shouldn't be up and desperate all on his own. Everyone was waiting for news on Jack and he should be waiting _with them_.

"You're the family of Jackson Overland?", asked a doctor as he entered the room.

Nick and Toothiana got up to talk to him, while everyone else was either slowly waking up or intensely watching them, trying to listen in on them. When Toothiana took a shaky breath and started sobbing as she turned toward her husband, Hiccup felt his heart break.

/break\

Hiccup was sitting next to Jack's bed, a blank expression on his face as he held onto Jack's limb hand. He had been sitting on this chair for over an hour now, ever since the doctors had finally allowed them into Jack's room. He really couldn't believe it, had hoped it not to be true until he saw Jack there. A part of him, even while waiting at the hospital for hours, had still thought that it must be some kind of mistake. That Jack would walk in any second now, laughing and smiling. But he wasn't. He was laying motionless on his hospital bed and he looked even paler than normal. He barely looked alive. It broke Hiccup's heart to see Jack like that.

"Hey there", whispered Moana lowly as she approached Hiccup. "How are you holding up?"

"Why's he not waking up?", asked Hiccup, not looking up from Jack.

"His brain was without oxygen for too long. They don't know if... when he'll wake up", sighed Moana and sat down next to him. "Your parents want to take Hiro home. It's already sunrise, we've all been here all night and... there's nothing any of us can do for him right now."

"I'm staying", stated Hiccup with a glare. "I'm not leaving him until he wakes up."

"You can't... do anything", repeated Moana and shook her head.

"I... I can also not leave him alone, Mo", countered Hiccup, clenching his jaw. "I can't."

"He's not alone, Hics", whispered Moana, resting a hand on Hiccup's.

Mary was laying next to Jack on his bed, curled together against her brother and sleeping. Nick and Toothiana had left for the cafeteria to get a light snack and a coffee. They had run out of the coffee Pippa had brought with her around three AM last night.

/break\

Moana was sitting curled together on her windowsill, staring out at the ocean, the waves crashing into the cliffs. Biting her lips, she turned a little to look at the wind-chime she had hanging over her window. They were small glass figurines. Snowflakes. She had gotten it from Jack for Christmas so she would be thinking of him when the cold winter winds blew.

"You better be alright, Frosty", whispered Moana with a glare, grinding her teeth.

A knocking at her door interrupted her. Confused, she turned some. Her parents had returned, but they knew that she was not in the mood for company right now. Jack had been in a coma for the past two days now. Tomorrow was school again and Moana had no idea how she could go to school without Jack. She had barely slept at all in the past two nights. As soon as she was close to falling asleep, she feared she'd miss news on Jack. Biting her lips, she watched as the door opened.

"What are you doing here, red?", asked Moana surprised.

Merida walked up to Moana to sit down next to her. She got a couple of brownies out of her bag and handed one to her. Blinking a couple of times, Moana accepted the brownie.

"I made them myself", offered Merida softly. "I... didn't know what to do. I practiced until I ran out of arrows. And then I still couldn't do anything more... Mom was baking and... I joined her. And then I figured I'd just... bring you some. So neither of us is sitting around alone."

"Thanks", smiled Moana, nibbling the brownie. "Not the first date I was expecting."

"We'll... We'll do that when Jack wakes up again", smiled Merida weakly.

"Yeah", sighed Moana, leaning against Merida and closing her eyes. "When he wakes up..."

/break\

It was on day four that Jack actually woke up again. The only ones in the room aside from him had been Moana and Hiccup, who had just been in the middle of a shift-change – Jack's friends had made a schedule so someone would always be with Jack so he wouldn't feel lonely. Jack had spent too much time being lonely already. Jack's eyes fluttered open just as Hiccup was about to leave the room. Moana grabbed him by the collar to yank him back harshly.

"Look!", exclaimed Moana excitedly.

Hiccup's heart fluttered nervously, just like Jack's eyelids. What if Jack didn't remember? The doctors had warned them that with how long Jack had been under the ice, he might have suffered brain-damage or memory-loss. Swallowing hard, Hiccup approached Jack just as his eyes opened.

"Please remember me", whispered Hiccup lowly beneath his breath.

Moana was right next to him, looking just as anxious. Groaning softly, Jack grasped his own head and slowly started sitting up. He blinked, eyes unfocused. A frown formed as he looked at Moana and Hiccup and Hiccup felt his heart freeze. No, no, no. Jack didn't remember them.

"What are you guys doing in my room?", muttered Jack confused. "Am I late for school...?"

"Oh, Frosty, you had us so worried!", exclaimed Moana and hugged him tightly.

"Ouch. You're squeezing too hard, Mo!", exclaimed Jack, laughing confused. "What's... Wait. This isn't my room. What _happened_...? Where... are we? Hics? What's going on?"

Sighing in relief, Hiccup reached out to caress Jack's hair. "That's what we'd like to know, Snowflake. You... What is the last thing you remember, Jack?"

"Dinner?", offered Jack vaguely, frowning in concentration. "Me and... my family, we were... we were at your place. And Mo! You texted me that you were on a... That you got a date with Merida."

"And after that...?", asked Moana concerned, patting Jack's hair.

"I went... ice-skating... with Mary?", whispered Jack unsure. "Did something happen...?"

"The ice broke and you saved Mary, but you broke in instead. And... just... why didn't you save yourself, the same way you did when I broke in?", asked Hiccup with a frown. "You've gotten so good at controlling it. Jack...? You don't have to say if you don't want-"

"I overestimated myself", muttered Jack with an upset frown. "I thought I had this much control over it. I learned so much from Gothi. I wanted... I wanted to do something nice for Mary. I know how much she loves ice-skating and the two of us, we... this used to be our thing. I thought I could freeze the whole lake, but I exhausted my magic and when I broke in, I just... I couldn't... a—and... and then everything... everything was cold... and dark... and I was alone and..."

"You're okay", interrupted Hiccup, pulling Jack into a hug and caressing his back soothingly. "You're safe. And you're... you're awake again. We were so worried about you, Snowflake."

"Again...? Wait. How... How long was I...?", asked Jack confused, looking at his friends.

Moana had her phone out and was turned away from them, calling Jack's family to tell them, while Hiccup sighed softly and brushed Jack's hair out of his face. "It's okay. You are safe. You're not alone and you're safe. We got you. I'm so glad you're fine, Snowflake."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah. Bit of drama to shake things up. And now all's well again. ;D
> 
> Next chapter is going to feature what Rapunzel suggested; a nice trip with the three couples. Just, driving out with the boat, having a bit of privacy, exploring more islands. Meridana maybe finally managing to have that first date.


	18. The Little Mermaid

_Chapter 18: The Little Mermaid_

Jack sighed, staring longingly out of the window. He had been stuck at home for the past solid week, with Mary attached to his side. And at first, he had relished in that. Being pampered by Toothiana and Nick, having all his friends drop by regularly to visit him. By now, it was just exhausting and boring, to be honest. He wanted to go back to school and go outside.

"Jack", whispered Toothiana gently, brushing his hair out of his face.

"Yeah, aunt Tooth?", asked Jack curiously, tilting his head back to look at him.

"How about you go on that boat-trip with your friends this weekend?", asked Toothiana with a smile. "You're not made to be cooped up. You're healthy again and we're... we're really only keeping you here because we worry. You... scared us, a lot. But being scared shouldn't stop anyone from doing something. I know Mary is attached to you, but... I'm sure she'll be fine."

Jack perked up at that. Rapunzel and Moana had been planning this weekend get-away really enthusiastically, whenever they were over. All this time, Jack had thought he wouldn't be allowed to go. Well, not 'allowed', but being coddled too much by his family.

"If... you really wanna go", sighed Mary where she was curled up next to Jack. "But you'll be careful, right? Don't do anything reckless."

"I promise", assured Jack with a soft smile.

The idea of driving out, just with Hiccup, Moana, Merida, Rapunzel and Flynn sounded really great. No one else to suffocate him with being overbearing. It wasn't that he didn't understand – he had nearly died, he had been in a coma for days, he _knew_ why they worried – but it was still so draining. Grinning, Jack got his phone out to text his friends the good news.

/break\

"This is amazing", groaned Jack happily, leaning forward into the wind, eyes closed.

Hiccup smiled softly as he watched his boyfriend. Jack was so adorable, so excited. They were out in the open sea, heading toward the outer islands of the archipelago. A place Jack hadn't seen yet. Rapunzel and Flynn were curled together in a corner, while Merida was sharpening arrows.

"You look like you're craving freedom", noted Moana softly.

"A week of being cooped up at home and smothered with love and attention", sighed Jack. "It's... I... I need some space. I mean. I get it. I understand why everyone was worried about me and everyone wants to coddle me because I nearly died and they nearly lost me. But... I... _I_ am the one who nearly died and I need... I just need some time to myself too, you know?"

"So... you want us to drop you off at an island to be alone for a while?", asked Moana.

"No. I mean. I just... I just don't wanna sit on you 24/7 either, but I do wanna be on this trip with you guys, is that... does that make sense?", offered Jack with a frown.

"It does", confirmed Hiccup as he stepped up to his boyfriend to kiss him gently.

Jack smiled and leaned back against his boyfriend, closing his eyes and just enjoying the beat of Hiccup's heart. It was even and reassuring. He felt so hot, which was rather untypical for him. Maybe he should get out of the sun, he had been standing out here for too long.

"Can we go below deck, Hics?", asked Jack with a sigh, nuzzling into Hiccup's chest.

"Sure. Let's go", nodded Hiccup, leading the way below deck.

They curled together in a pillowed corner, with Jack on Hiccup's lap, head tucked beneath the alpha's chin. He sighed contently at being surrounded by Hiccup's scent like that. Pressing his forehead against Hiccup's collarbone, Jack soaked up all the comfort.

"Jack... are you... alright?", asked Hiccup concerned, resting a hand on Jack's forehead.

"You... smell... comfy", sighed Jack, closing his eyes happily.

"And you smell... sweet", noted Hiccup worried.

He figured he might be overreacting, so he waited, until they reached land and Rapunzel came down to get them. When the blonde squeaked loudly, Hiccup realized he might not be mistaken after all. Jack was going into heat. Gritting his teeth, the alpha brushed Jack's hair out of his face.

"I... I... I'm getting... uh... Merida? Yes. Merida. You just... Yeah", mumbled Rapunzel.

Moments later and the two female omegas made their way inside, sitting down on either side of Jack. They slowly coaxed Jack out of Hiccup's lap and then kicked Hiccup out of the boat to tell the others what was going on and to set up camp and take care of dinner.

"Until then, we'll have him calmed down some", stated Merida with a frown. "Shoo, alpha."

/break\

"Tremendous timing that Snow White has", grunted Flynn as they cooked.

"I think it's just the stress", noted Rapunzel with a sigh. "He nearly died and he's been constantly surrounded by people since then. His body just... needs to catch a break. It's a natural reaction to all the stress. The tea will help him calm down and he should be able to get through his heat without problems then. Now, show of hands who's grateful I apprentice with grandma Gothi?"

Flynn, Moana and Merida all lifted their hands at that. Rapunzel was cooking up a simple herbal mix, after everyone had gone hunting down the herbs and berries for the tea. Moana all the while was preparing their dinner, Hiccup being down in the ship cuddling Jack, which was what the omega currently needed. Physical contact, warmth and the soothing scent of pack.

"Dinner's nearly ready. Go get Jack and Hiccup?", suggested Moana.

Merida sighed and went to fetch the two. Jack was more than unwilling to leave. He just wanted to stay curled together on Hiccup's lap. Once they were at the bonfire and Jack got to curl together on Hiccup's lap again, he was happy again. Hiccup was flustered – embarrassed – as he patted Jack's hair and tried to make the white-haired omega drink the tea.

"Come on. This will help you", murmured Hiccup gently. "Please drink it, Snowflake?"

Grumbling, Jack did as he was told, slowly drinking the tea. After the cup was empty, Rapunzel offered him some food. With something solid in his stomach, the tea had the chance to fully take effect. Smiling a little confused, Jack looked around and noted it was dark.

"What... is... going on?", asked Jack, blinking a couple of times.

"Uhm... You went into heat", offered Hiccup, cheeks dark-red.

"Oh. Uhm. I-", started Jack startled, looking around, ears dark-red.

"You're... going to be fine", assured Rapunzel gently. "I made you a tea. You gotta drink it trice a day, it'll lessen the effects, take the edge off your heat. You'll still have cravings for physical contact with pack, but aside from that, you should be fine."

"Oh, cool", grunted Jack and tilted his head. "Dinner is great, Mo."

"Thanks", chuckled Moana amused, shaking her head. "You fine with this? We could bring you home, if you want to though...?"

"Nah. Rather here than with uncle Nick being _super_ awkward and aunt Tooth hovering", sighed Jack and leaned back against Hiccup, closing his eyes. "You are su—uper comfy, Hics."

"...Thanks", chuckled Hiccup, kissing the top of Jack's head. "Pretty omega... Uhm. I mean-"

"Instincts", dismissed Jack, taking a deep breath. "Omega in heat. Pheromones. All that jazz. I had health class too. It's okay, alpha. You feel safe and comfy, so I don't mind you sniffing me."

Hiccup huffed, but took another sniff. Jack did smell particularly good.

/break\

Moana grunted surprised and a bit annoyed when she was shaken awake. Blinking, she looked around. She was on her ship, in the next of pillows and blankets, with Jack nestled against her chest, one leg thrown over Moana and Rapunzel, who was on Moana's other side. Both omegas were being spooned from behind by their alphas. The one who had woken Moana was the only one not sleeping in their puppy-pile. Merida was crouching in front of Moana.

"Get up, Mo", whispered Merida.

"It's the middle of the night", groaned Moana, throwing one arm over her eyes. "Go to sleep."

"No. No. You're coming with me, Moana", huffed the omega demandingly.

At that point, Moana gave up arguing and crawled out from beneath Jack and Rapunzel. The two omegas immediately adjusted to snuggle up to each other to fill the void. Shaking her head, Moana followed Merida outside. And before the alpha had a chance to even ask what Merida had planned, Merida just shifted into her bear-skin. The brown-bear was adorable. Moana bit her lips and reached out to pat her girlfriend's head (it wasn't every day that someone got to pat a bear). Merida cooed at her and nudged her, probably wanting something. When the bear then turned around and headed out, Moana sprinted after her. Though as Merida picked up her pace, Moana realized she stood no chance against a bear when running on two legs. Within the blink of an eye did Moana change into her second skin too. She spread her wings wide as she soared through the sky, following her girlfriend closely, not even paying attention to the way and trusting Merida to know where they were going. Though Moana was a bit doubtful as to _how_ Merida would know that. They had traveled far, this island was one they had only visited a couple of times. After half an hour of running and flying, they paused. Moana landed next to Merida and the two girls turned back.

"Where... are... we", panted Moana. "And girl, don't chase me through foreign territory at dead in the night. This is super not my thing..."

"We never got to our first date", stated Merida with a blush. "Jack's coma and then... last week... fussing over Jack. I figured now would be the best opportunity."

Moana frowned before her eyes widened. Lanterns were set up in the clearing, there was a blanket with food placed out. Mostly left-overs from today, but also some snacks that Merida must have brought from Burgess. It looked so romantic and beautiful.

"When did you...", asked Moana slowly.

"When Raps send us out to find berries and herbs? I stumbled over the clearing and then the others helped me decorate it while we were hunting herbs", shrugged Merida. "Is it..."

"Perfect", whispered Moana, turning around once. "It's beautiful."

Smiling pleased, the ginger sat down and motioned for Moana to join her, which the alpha gladly did. The two sat leaning against each other, facing the cliff. The moon stood high over the ocean, stars sparkling beautifully. It was so romantic and feeling Merida this close to her made Moana's heart beat faster. They ate and fed each other, laughing softly.

"I really like you, red", whispered Moana with a smile.

"I... like you too, Mo", replied Merida, tilting her head.

"Do you... mind if I'd... kiss you?", asked Moana slowly, heart beating faster.

"That... That sounds good", nodded Merida, cheeks red.

Both were so nervous and clumsy, yet despite that it was somehow the perfect kiss. They laughed softly as they leaned against each other when parting. Merida closed her eyes and buried her face in Moana's neck, while Moana wrapped her arms around Merida to pull her closer.

"So... how long are we going to sit here?", asked Moana curiously.

"Just a few minutes later", whispered Merida, motioning at the horizon.

Moana gasped. It was sunrise. Sunrise over the ocean. The way the sky was painted pink within moments was absolutely amazing. This was not what she would have expected for Merida to plan for their first date, but Moana already knew the challenge for the second date was big.

/break\

They were playing water-ball, alphas versus omegas. So far, Jack, Rapunzel and Merida were in the lead, while Flynn, Moana and Hiccup were on the losing end but didn't seem to mind. The view on their respective omegas down to swim-clothes was distracting and also worth it.

"You guys are absolutely pathetic", grunted Merida displeased, smacking the ball in Hiccup's face.

"Hey! Watch the merchandise!", hissed Jack. "Don't break my dragon."

Hiccup grumbled at that, rubbing his nose. "I feel objectified."

Jack grinned at him and blew him a kiss. They played for another ten minutes, before they finally gave up, because seriously, the alphas had no chance of ever catching up, even if they'd play all day long. Exhausted but pleased about the exercise, Jack collapsed on the beach-towel, dragging Hiccup with him and curling against the alpha. His heat demanded for him to get rid of the useless extra energy he had, the buzzing in his mind. Now, it was time for the cuddles and touching again. Honestly, that tea of Gothi's was pretty amazing and definitely beat constant masturbation. While he was still very horny and would really enjoy getting Hiccup naked and riding him, he had the peace of mind to _not_ do that and to control his urges. Hiccup was purring as he buried his nose in Jack's hair, pulling the white-haired omega so close he was practically laying on top of Hiccup.

"I'm sorry I'm hijacking your vacation", sighed Jack with a pout. "I know you wanna be out there drawing dragons or flying with Mo or something..."

"Jack. You didn't hijack my vacation. I get to cuddle with my beautiful and amazing omega-boyfriend all day long. That's... That's the perfect kind of vacation, really. I draw dragons all the time and I can fly whenever I want. But laying with you on the beach? I can't do that all the time", replied Hiccup seriously, kissing Jack's temple.

"Hijack!", exclaimed Flynn all of as sudden, snapping his fingers.

The others startled and turned to look at the fox-shifter a little disturbed. "What, Eugene?"

"Hijack. Hiccup and Jack. Hijack", stated Flynn proudly. "You know, like Flynnzel."

"We're not calling ourselves Flynnzel and no one else is calling us Flynnzel either, Eugene", sighed Rapunzel a bit embarrassed, cheeks red. "You need to stop it..."

"Hijack is pretty cool though", mused Moana thoughtfully.

"Hah! So it is decided ! Hiccup and Jack are now officially called Hijack", declared Flynn, looking way too pleased with himself, before he turned to Moana. "What do we call you?"

"Me?", asked Moana very confused.

"No. You", huffed Flynn, motioning at both Moana and Merida. "Don't think we're all idiots, girls. You sneaked out last night. _We_ helped Merida prepare your romantic date-night – which, by the way, was it good? I know it was good. I helped pick out the spot."

"...So everybody knows about us", muttered Moana a little embarrassed.

"We're your friends, Moana", assured Rapunzel gently. "We don't judge or anything. We're just happy that you're happy. You know that, right?"

"Of course we do", huffed Merida. "We just originally intended to, you know, keep it under wraps a little while longer. Until we... figured things out, I guess."

"Word of the wise: That shit ne—ever works", hummed Jack, nuzzling into Hiccup's neck.

"So. What do we call them?", asked Flynn, clapping once loudly. "Morida?"

"No", growled Merida firmly. "That's awful.

"Meridana?", offered Jack. "Merida and Moana. Crossing at the A. Also, you can actually pronounce it without it sounding absolutely _awful_."

"Meridana doesn't sound so bad", shrugged Moana thoughtfully.

"Hey! How come everybody is so supportive when Jack comes up with a name but when I do it, it's silly?", complained Flynn with a pout.

"That's all on you", shrugged Jack casually, grinning at Flynn.

/break\

"My turn, princess", stated Moana softly, smirking at Merida.

It was sunset and while the others were on clean-up (and cuddle-Jack) duty, Moana had pulled Merida toward the ocean, holding her hands. Moana was walking backward, pulling Merida more and more into the water. At first, Merida was confused, but then... then the water parted for them. Merida stared wide-eyed as they went deeper and deeper into the ocean, the water parted on either side of them, a solid wall of water. When they reached a coral reef, they paused. Merida gasped as she turned around, looking at everything. There were fishes, right in front of her face, behind the water. It was like an aquarium, only without the glass. Giggling, Merida stuck her hand into the water, having a curious fish circle it before hightailing.

"Your powers are amazing. You don't use them often enough", pointed Merida out.

"Because I'm not so... certain in them, I suppose", shrugged Moana and sat down on the cliff.

"Why?", asked Merida confused. "You're _amazing_."

Moana laughed a little flustered. "My... grandma was who taught me about my powers. And... I don't know, ever since she died, I've... just... I feel so... out of sync with it. I guess... it always makes me a little too... sad to use them, because it reminds me of her. Which is stupid, I know that. I know grandma passed peacefully and she wouldn't want me to be sad, but..."

"Sadness isn't something controlled as easily as the ocean?", offered Merida.

Moana gave her a small sad smile. "...Yeah. I guess so."

"Thank you", smiled Merida and leaned in to kiss Moana's cheek. "For confiding in me and for showing me your amazing powers, even though they make you sad."

"You make me happy. So it... balances out", offered Moana a little embarrassed.

Merida giggled a little at that, finding a flustered Moana to be absolutely endearing.

/break\

Hiccup smiled lazily, licking once over the white-furred fox curled against his stomach. Jack yelped and rolled onto his side, stretching his paws out wild. The black-scaled dragon spread one wing out to cover Jack protectively as the two laid out on the beach. It was too stuffy inside, or so Jack had claimed. But it was too cold outside for them to just sleep on the beach. Not for the furred fox and the cold-blooded dragon though. Hiccup wrapped one arm around Jack. The fox immediately cuddled up to his dragon, before he finally fell asleep.

"I... love you", whispered Jack.

Hiccup raised his wing in slight surprise, looking at the white-haired boy. Jack looked up at him with ice-blue eyes, smiling up at him. Slowly, the omega sat up and kissed the dragon's cheek. Squeaking, the dragon returned to his human form too. Hiccup's cheeks and ears were dark-red and his eyes were large as he stared at Jack, gaping a little.

"Y—You... You...", stammered Hiccup.

"...Love you", confirmed Jack with a smile. "I nearly died. And if that did anything. It's... putting things in perspective. And I do love you. I want you to _know_ that. I love you."

"Oh. I... uhm... I love you too?", smiled Hiccup and ducked his head.

Jack's smile brightened and he wrapped his arms around Hiccup's neck to pull him down into a slow, deep kiss. Hiccup grinned into their kiss, his own arms around Jack's waist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Neeext chapter is going to be highly embarrassing for Hiccup! I feel bad for him! Also Jamie and Hiro are FINALLY going to sort out their own feelings! ;)


	19. How to Train Your Dragon

_Chapter 19: How to Train Your Dragon_

"Oh god, please let me die", whispered Hiccup absolutely mortified.

"Son. You are not getting out of this so easily", grunted Stoick and crossed his arms over his chest.

"...Can... Can someone hand me my shirt?", muttered Jack embarrassed.

Cass heaved a sigh and handed Jack, who had the blanket wrapped tightly around himself, a shirt. Cass and Stoick had been out on date-night, but returned early because Stoick had eaten something that had disagreed with him. And when they came home, they found Hiccup and Jack making out on the couch, with a movie running in the background.

"Hey, Hics, do we have—Oh, never mind, I do not want to be part of _that_ conversation", grunted Dagur as he came stumbling down the stairs, just to turn around and leave again.

"Hiccup", huffed Stoick very stoically. "What are you doing here with Jack?"

"Making out. I thought that part was painfully obvious?", asked Jack curiously.

"Jack, please, stop talking", groaned Hiccup awkwardly, covering his face with his hands.

"Is he the reason you and Merida did not work out?", wanted Stoick to know.

"No", grunted Hiccup, shaking his head. "Merida and I are the reason Merida and I didn't work out. We're... friends and nothing more. I am not in love with her and she is not in love with you."

"But you are in love with Jackson Overland?", asked Stoick, eyebrows drawn down.

"Yes, I am!", exclaimed Hiccup, holding his father's tern gaze.

There was a long moment of silence in which Jack stared surprised at his boyfriend. Sure, they had said the l-word a few weeks ago, after Jack's coma. But somehow, Jack hadn't expected for Hiccup to say it aloud in front of Stoick Haddock, Alpha of the pack and _his father_. Then, all of a sudden, Stoick started laughing, a hollering laughter, as he went to grab Jack, pick him up and whirl him around once while hugging him. Jack blinked confused as he looked over Stoick's shoulder at Hiccup, but Hiccup looked even more confused than Jack felt.

"...Mom, what just happened?", asked Hiccup softly.

"I... I have no idea", muttered Cass, frowning as she watched her husband. "Dear?"

"Yes, love?", laughed Stoick.

"Would you mind putting the boy down and explain why you're this... excited?", requested Cass gently. "I mean, I have to admit, I was not expecting you to be this... enthusiastic."

"Well, I've been rather disappointed that things between Hiccup and Merida didn't work out", sighed Stoick as he put Jack down on the ground again. "Of course would it have been ideal for him to get together with the omega heir of the DunBrochs. But even without that, Hiccup is seventeen now. And without Merida, there seemed no omega he looked interested in. But for him, as the future Alpha... Having Merida at his side, I felt... assured he would be alright. Fishlegs is a trusted Beta to guide him, but having a strong, dependable mate at your side..." Stoick paused and reached for Cass' hand. "I had forgotten how important that was until I met you again, Cass. After V... after your death, Hiccup, I had lost sight of that. But your mate is very important to you as an Alpha."

"...But... I... You...", mumbled Hiccup, confused and embarrassed.

"Jackson is a formidable omega!", exclaimed Stoick, clasping a heavy hand onto Jack's shoulder and squeezing. "He's good at school, artistic, caring, he had made many friends. I've seen him with essentially everyone from your age-group. You, son, have never been too good at the social side. You have your few close friends, but you have never been very good at socializing. Jack here is a charmer! He has charmed the whole island already! He would make a fine leader one day."

"So... you approve of Hiccup's relationship?", asked Cass surprised.

"Jack is a good kid. A good omega. I do not approve of them sneaking around behind my back, but yes. I think Hiccup chose well", agreed Stoick with a laugh.

Jack raised his eyebrows and turned to look at Hiccup, who was still gaping. That had surprisingly gone way better than either of them would have expected.

/break\

"So... you and Hiccup are now officially dating, huh?"

Jack blushed as he kicked off on the swing, not looking at Jamie who sat on the other swing. "Well, I mean... yeah. I mean, now it's _really_ official. Since now, Stoick knows and with him... everyone does. It's kind of a little... I don't know. It's like there's a pressure on the relationship now."

"And that's a problem?", asked Jamie concerned.

"...No. And that's the weird thing", sighed Jack, ducking his head. "I mean... I oddly don't mind. It's like... It feels right being able to hold hands with Hiccup in public? Cuddle with him during movie night at the Haddock-Hamadas? Sure, Dagur and Tadashi could dial down the teasing a bit, but... I like it. I really like being able to be with him, openly."

"That's good", smiled Jamie.

"I just... Stoick said I could... He said I'd make a good... leader one day. He's... I think he's expecting me to be Hiccup's omega. Like, his mate", muttered Jack with red cheeks.

"And you don't want that?", asked Jamie with a frown.

"...I don't know", admitted Jack, looking up at his friend. "And that is actually what scares me. I mean, I'm sixteen. Hiccup is my first boyfriend. I just... The fact that I don't immediately back off in horror from the idea is kind of... stunning already. It's not like I'm _hyping_ it or anything, waiting to become the leader and get mated and live a calm, homey family-life or anything. I just..."

"You're just happy and not questioning it", nodded Jamie with a smile. "I'm glad you're happy."

"So am I", sighed Jack, leaning his head back. "You should too, you know."

"Mh?", grunted Jamie confused, tilting his head.

"You should be happy too. Everybody can see how smitten you are with Hiro. You should really talk to him. Ask him out on a date. You two would be good for each other. Would be happy together", suggested Jack with the smallest smile. "Be a bit more daring, James Bennett."

"Don't call me James", groaned Jamie and wiggled his nose.

Jack laughed and kicked off higher. He really wanted his friends to be happy and considering he was friends with both Jamie and Hiro, he was well-aware that the two of them were in love with each other. Mutual feelings. There really was no need to dance around it and waste time. Time they could spend being happy _together_. If they needed a push? Jack was good at pushing.

/break\

Hiccup smiled as he leaned over Jack, kissing him gently. Jack's hand slipped beneath Hiccup's shirt, tracing the alpha's six-pack greedily. Huffing, the alpha allowed himself to be pinned against the bed. Happily, Jack climbed on top of his boyfriend. Sitting up straight, Jack slowly peeled his shirt off his body, flexing nicely for Hiccup. The dragon-shifter made a miserable noise at that.

"J... Jack... after what happened at my place last week...", voiced Hiccup doubtfully.

Jack smiled brightly down at his boyfriend. "Nick and Toothiana left to visit an old friend, together with Mister ManSnoozie and Mister Bunnymund. They'll be gone all weekend."

"Oh...", grunted Hiccup, eyes large.

"And Mary is on a sleep-over at the DunBrochs", continued Jack with a happy grin.

"So... So... So we're... all alone?", asked Hiccup, looking around Jack's bedroom.

"Ye—ep. All alone", confirmed Jack and bent down to kiss Hiccup. "Only me and my big, bad dragon. Now, what's a fox got to do to get his dragon to pay attention to him...?"

The sound Hiccup made was downright miserable and totally endearing. "I... I... uhm..."

To push Hiccup over the edge, Jack summoned his ears and tail. Cute white rectangular ears with black tips and a bushy white tail whipping back and forth. That definitely and effectively broke the alpha. Hiccup just stared blankly at his boyfriend, completely overwhelmed.

"Come on, Hics", whispered Jack and started kissing down Hiccup's neck.

"Wait", stated Hiccup firmly, grasping Jack by his hips.

The white-haired boy immediately paused, looking curiously at his boyfriend. "Right. Sorry. I just... I assumed you'd... also want to. Because I _really_ want to and seeing you all the time makes me really want to... But I get if you're not ready. We could just... cuddle?"

"No, that's not it. I _do_ want. God do I want to. I just... wanted to make sure that _you_ want it too and don't feel... like we _need_ to. Because we don't", countered Hiccup embarrassed.

"You're so cute", grinned Jack and leaned down to kiss Hiccup's nose. "I love you. I _want_ you. So. If you also want me like that right now... then... we could..."

"Okay", nodded Hiccup hastily, licking his lips and pulling Jack down into a kiss.

"Great", grinned Jack happily, reaching out for the lube and condoms in his nightstand.

Again, he got an absolutely amazing noise from his alpha whose head looked ready to _explode_. Honestly, Hiccup really was the cutest alpha possible. Smiling gently, Jack cupped Hiccup's cheek and stole another kiss from the alpha before successfully stealing Hiccup's shirt.

"Yummy", purred Jack as he started kissing down Hiccup's chest.

Hiccup's breath hitched as Jack caught one of his nipple's between his teeth, nibbling teasingly. Hiccup's fingers found their way into Jack's hair, tugging and pulling him closer. When Jack released Hiccup's nipple, he made his way further down South, his teeth slowly scratching over firm abs and sun-kissed skin. The way Hiccup arched his body into the touch was so sweet. All the while, Jack's fingers worked on opening Hiccup's pants and pulling them off. Now it was Jack's turn to make an unholy sound, because Hiccup was massive, hard and leaking.

"Mi—ine", growled the omega, eyes flashing.

He licked his lips before he wrapped them around the hard cock and slowly slid more and more of Hiccup's dick down his throat. The words leaving Hiccup's lips were most definitely not English. Maybe they weren't even words at all, just gibberish, desperate exclamations of how much Hiccup enjoyed this. It made Jack smirk around the hardness in his mouth.

"I... I—I...", gasped Hiccup desperately, fingers still entangled in white hair.

Jack's fox-ears twitched and Jack swallowed around Hiccup's cock, effectively making Hiccup come. The dragon-shifter collapsed on the bed, panting hard and gasping for breath. Jack licked his lips eagerly and sat back up to look down at his boyfriend.

"That was fun. Want to have some more fun, or do you think you're spent?", asked Jack.

"I... I'm seventeen, Jack. Give me five minutes of staring at my gorgeous omega-boyfriend and I'll be ready to go again...", panted Hiccup with a broad half-grin.

"I'll do you one better", chimed Jack mischievously.

The omega collapsed back on the bed and spread his legs wide. Hiccup made the most strangled noise as he had the view on Jack's cock and his hole. Slowly, Jack trailed his fingers down his own body, jerking his own cock a few times before he reached his hole. It was already wet with slick from having sucked Hiccup off. Gasping breathlessly, Jack breached himself, pushing two fingers in slowly. Whining, Hiccup curled together in a way that gave him a better view on the rosy hole being scissored by expert fingers. Yep, Hiccup was rock-hard again.

"You're so beautiful, Snowflake", whispered Hiccup in awe. "I mean, I know you're beautiful, but you're even more beautiful and you're beautiful _everywhere_ and-"

"You're adorable when you ramble", offered Jack with the smallest smile. "Think you're... ready to go? Condoms are to your right. Want to put one on? Or do you think you're too jittery to get that done because you radiate nervous energy, Hics."

Jack laughed softly as he watched his boyfriend fumble with the condoms. Glaring pointedly at Jack, Hiccup ripped one of the condoms open and carefully tried to put it on. Hiccup looked way too proud when he managed to put the dark-green condom on.

"Well done, alpha", praised Jack amused. "Now come here and _take_ your omega."

Hiccup's eyes flashed into those of a dragon for a long moment before Hiccup essentially tackled Jack to the bed, startling the white-haired omega. Though Jack looked utterly pleased as he found himself beneath Hiccup. Spreading his legs in invitation, Jack pulled Hiccup closer.

"I've been dying to do this with you", murmured Hiccup in awe, gently kissing Jack.

Smiling at that, Jack wrapped his legs around Hiccup's waist and pulled him even closer. Very slowly did Hiccup ease his way into his boyfriend, closing his eyes in bliss at the feeling of how tight and warm Jack was. This was so much better than masturbating and even better than Jack sucking him off. Today was officially blowing his mind.

"I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you", chanted Hiccup breathlessly, peppering Jack's face with kisses. "So, so, _so_ much..."

Jack grinned and gladly leaned into the kisses while trying to get used to the feeling of Hiccup invading him like that. It was... different. Different than fingering himself or using toys. Hiccup was so warm, so firm but still _pulsing_. Alive. Gasping, Jack bit down on Hiccup's neck to keep himself from howling out the first time Hiccup hit his prostate.

"Ouch!", hissed Hiccup.

"S... Sorry... You just...", panted Jack. "Fuck, that was good. Do it again?"

"If you don't try ripping out my throat them?", muttered Hiccup with a slight pout.

Jack blushed in embarrassment. Half-shifted. Fangs out. The bite actually bled some. Licking over it in an apologetic way, Jack nuzzled into Hiccup's neck to sooth the alpha. Sighing contently, Hiccup kissed his boyfriend's nose and continued thrusting. Sadly, they both didn't last long – but then again, it was their first time and the both of them were completely overwhelmed with everything happening to them. Growling, Hiccup thrust as deep into Jack as possible, his knot swelling as he came hard. Jack was ejaculating all over their stomachs.

"Fu—uck", hissed Jack. "Y... Your _knot_. Y—You... argh..."

"Shit. Sorry. No. I didn't-", sputtered Hiccup wide-eyed.

"You don't need to be", sighed Jack. "I'd have told you not to knot me if I didn't want it. I just... I didn't expect it to be _like that_. Fuck. We're going to spend the entire day in bed tomorrow and you can play my manservant."

"As you wish", chuckled Hiccup, peppering Jack's face with kisses. "I'm still sorry."

"And you don't need to. So. Can we maybe... carefully... adjust? To spooning or something? Because I am not staying in this position for the rest of the night", grunted Jack.

"Sure", agreed Hiccup hastily. "Just... stay still. Say if it hurts?"

He was very careful and very slow as he adjusted them both so he could lay behind Jack. Hiccup wrapped his arms around Jack's waist, holding him close and resting his chin on Jack's shoulder. For a while, neither said anything, until Jack wiggled around a little and touched something cold.

"...Hics?", asked Jack softly. "Don't you... uh... Don't you take it off to sleep?"

Awkward silence followed for a couple beats. "I do. Normally. But I figured it'd... make you uncomfortable or something. I just... I figured it might be weird for you."

"Are you fucking with me? I mean, you were just literally fucking with me, but this?", grunted Jack, turning around as much as he could. "I _know_ you're missing a leg, Hics. If I'd be shallow enough to be bothered by my boyfriend's leg-stump, I wouldn't be dating an amputee. This has to be uncomfortable for sleeping, so take the damn thing off."

Hiccup blinked a couple of times and felt himself relaxing. He hadn't even noticed how much this had been on his mind, in a way. His prosthetic was very realistic, very modern – thanks to Tadashi's genius on the field, really – and a part of him had still been worried that actually facing the fact that Hiccup was missing a leg would bother Jack. It was stupid and usually Hiccup wasn't really bothered by what people thought. Removing the prosthetic, Hiccup settled in behind Jack again and kissed his boyfriend's shoulder before closing his eyes to fall asleep.

/break\

Jack smiled faintly to himself as he laid on his side on the couch, watching through the open kitchen-door how Hiccup was cooking. The alpha was being good and doing as he had promised yesterday: tending to Jack's every need. He had even carried Jack to the living room for watching a movie, because he was a total dork and adorable. It was also really hot knowing that Hiccup actually could pick him up bridal-style and carry him around like that? Even though it shouldn't be so much of a surprise, considering the hard metal-work Hiccup did all day long.

Grabbing his phone from the table, Jack took a picture of Hiccup in the fancy apron to send it to Moana together with a text – a summary of last night, leaving out the graphic details.

/break

Jamie was taking so many deep breaths, he was pretty sure that he was high on oxygen at this point. Honestly, he just meant to take one big breath before doing it. But then he psyched out again and he had to do it _again_ and by now the oxygen was seriously getting to his head.

"...Jamie? Are you having some kind of attack or seizure? Am I supposed to get... help?"

Hiro looked way too cute when worrying about him. The two of them were in the lab, Hiro excitedly talking about his newest project. And he was so cute when he was excited, so Jamie wanted to confess. Hence that first deep breath. That was now ten deep breaths ago and at one point Hiro had stopped talking to instead stare at Jamie a little disturbed.

"You're the prettiest omega on this planet", blurted Jamie out, his ears red. "And the most brilliant person I've _ever_ met. And you're just absolutely amazing."

"Uhm. Okay", nodded Hiro confused. "You're amazing too."

"No—o", groaned Jamie frustrated, covering his face with his hands. "I... I _like_ you. A lot. I... I have a giant crush on you... Cupcake calls me a love-sick puppy."

"You do not seem to be sick. My scanners indicate a high level of hormo-", started Baymax.

"...He activates when he hears the word 'sick'. Tadashi is still trying to figure out all the kinks", chuckled Hiro, grabbing Jamie and pulling him farther away from the confused healthcare- robot. "I... I don't know what to say. I mean. You... This is... sudden."

"You don't have to say anything", assured Jamie with a small, sad smile. "I just... needed you to know, I guess? Jack's been pushing me. He keeps telling me I shouldn't worry so much and should just tell you. And when you talk about your inventions, you're always so enthusiastic and it's just so amazing, you're like... glowing... and... It felt like a good moment."

"No, that's not it!", exclaimed Hiro, his own ears dark. "I didn't mean that I don't know what to say because I don't return your feelings, but... I... I just didn't _expect it_. Like. Ever?"

"Wait. So. Does that mean you _do_ return my feelings?", asked Jamie hopeful.

Hiro nodded wildly, looking up at Jamie. "Yeah. Kind of. A lot. You... listen to me rant about my inventions and actually pay attention, like you really care, even though you technically don't really care about inventions and stuff. But like... you care about... _me_. Which. I guess you do."

Jamie offered a half-smile as he caressed Hiro's cheek. Nervously, Hiro got on his tip-toes and pressed a shy kiss against Jamie's lips, making the alpha blush brightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is already the final one! It'll give us some insight into how their lives will unfold down the line. ;)
> 
> But worry not! I already have plans for the next HiJack fanfiction that's going to follow this one. It'll be set in the Big Hero 6 universe, only that when Tadashi dies, he leaves behind not just Hiro but also their stepbrother Hiccup and the two brothers have to work through their grief together. While Jack will be an ice-powered meta-human. Sooo superhero shenannigans and attempts to keep their secret identity a secret from each other. Fun times and I hope to see you around in it! ;D

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to know when the next update is, you can find my **updating schedule** here on my profile!
> 
> On another note, I finally got a tumblr account! If you enjoy me ranting, you'll find plenty of that, as well as sneak-peeks to what I'm working on, plans for upcoming fics and whatever else comes to my mind there! [takaraphoenix](https://takaraphoenix.tumblr.com/)
> 
> And, on a totally different note; I thought I'd include a little chart on who's in what class, who's dating/loving-and-future-dating who and who's **alpha** , beta, _omega_!
> 
> Seniors: Tadashi/GoGo, Fred[/Ruffnut], **Honey** [/Fishlegs/ _Heather_ ], Wasabi, **Stabbington Brothers** , **Dagur**
> 
> Juniors: **Hiccup** [/ _Jack_ ], [ **Honey** /]Fishlegs/ _Heather_ , **Snotlout** , **Eret** / **Astrid** , Tuffnut, [Fred/]Ruffnut
> 
> Sophomores: [ **Hiccup** /] _Jack_ , **Flynn** / _Rapunzel_ , **Toothless** , **Moana** / _Merida_
> 
> Freshmen: **Jamie** / _Hiro_ , **Cadence 'Cupcake'** , Pippa, Monty, Caleb, Claude


End file.
